Finsbury Park: Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn send condolences to victims of latest London terror attack

Labour leader in touch with mosques and community leaders in constituency

(Reuters)

Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have sent their condolences to victims of a suspected terror attack on Muslims in Finsbury Park that left one man dead and several victims injured.

The Prime Minister described the attack as a “terrible incident'', adding: "All my thoughts are with those who have been injured, their loved ones and the emergency services on the scene."

The Labour leader said he had been in touch with local mosques, police and the council following the incident, which took place in his constituency and near his home.

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"My thoughts are with those and the community affected by this awful event," Mr Corbyn added.

Witnesses said up to 10 people were injured, some seriously, when a van ploughed into a crowd of pedestrians in Finsbury Park shortly after midnight.

Many were worshippers leaving prayers at the nearby Muslim Welfare House and Finsbury Park Mosque.

Footage showed injured people motionless on the pavement as angry crowds surrounded a white man believed to be the driver.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said one man had died at the scene in Seven Sisters Road, while eight injured victims were taken to hospital.

The force said a 48-year-old man was had been arrested and will be taken into custody after leaving hospital.

Witnesses said Muslims were targeted after leaving a mosque following Tarawih prayers performed for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Harun Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “Shocked and outraged to hear a van has intentionally run over worshippers leaving Ramadan night prayers.”

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation Muslim organisation, said the incident came as members of both mosques left prayers.

“According to eyewitnesses it was a deliberate attack against innocent Muslims and if that’s confirmed by authorities it should be classed as a terror attack, no doubt about that," he told The Independent.

It was the third major incident in weeks for London's emergency services, following the London Bridge attack and Grenfell Tower disaster, which killed at least 58 people.