An injured person is loaded into an ambulance following a shooting at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, March 15, 2019. REUTERS/SNPA/Martin Hunter

LONDON (Reuters) - British counter-terrorism officers are ready to help their counterparts in New Zealand to investigate the shootings at New Zealand mosques which killed at least 49 people on Friday, Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism officer said.

“Our international network of UK counter-terrorism officers will be ready to support our counterparts in New Zealand in responding to and investigating this appalling attack,” Neil Basu, the British National Policing lead for Counter-Terrorism, said in a statement.

Basu said patrols would be stepped up near mosques in the United Kingdom and advice would be given to communities from all faiths about how to protect themselves and places of worship.