'Filthy' mosque is closed

The north London mosque raided by police last week has been closed by health officers for three weeks because it is filthy and dilapidated.

Finsbury Park mosque was raided at 2am last Monday by 150 police searching for terrorist materials allegedly stored by followers of the radical Egyptian-born cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri.

Seven men were arrested, and police allege they found a replica firearm, stun gun, a CS gas canister and credit cards and passports. The raid was linked to the discovery of the poison ricin in north London earlier this month.

The raid ended a six-year occupation by Abu Hamza and his hardline Supporters of Shariah group, after they ousted the board of trustees who legally run the mosque.

But the board now fears they will try to wrest back control after it reopens, since Abu Hamza is still free and has not been charged with any offence. On Friday, he and his supporters staged public prayers on the pavement near the building.

The trustees were given back the keys and control of the building by police on Thursday night, but their hopes of quickly reopening the mosque to worshippers have been dashed by local environmental health officers.