Finsbury Park terror attack suspect seen waving to Muslim crowd during arrest

Footage showing the Finsbury Park attack suspect appearing to wave to an angry crowd while getting placed into the back of a police van has emerged.

The 48-year-old male, who has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, appears to be bruised and beaten after being detained following the suspected terrorist attack in which a van drove into Muslims outside a mosque on Seven Sisters Road.

The attacker struck his victims, all of whom are from the Muslim community, after they left Finsbury Park Mosque following night prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

One man has died and 10 others have been left injured in what Prime Minister Theresa May described as a terrorist attack "every bit as sickening as those which have come before".

Video taken from the scene appears to show the suspect waving to the crowd after being forced into the back of the police van. Police mobile phone photo also appears to show the man blowing a kiss following his arrest.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing the suspect shout "I want to kill Muslims" and "kill me" as he was being pinned down by members of the public.

Members of the public can be heard asking the man on the video: 'Why did you do that?' During the tense exchange Muslim worshippers can be seen calmly shielding the man from the public as well as police.

The Iman of the Finsbury Park mosque, Mohammed Mahmoud, has been praised for shielding the suspected attacker from the crowd as he lay on the ground until the police arrived.

Footage shows the Iman telling angry onlookers "Don't hit him, hand him over to the police, pin him down'" as he was being held by members of the Muslim community.

Scotland Yard's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu was one of those to pay tribute to Mahmoud after he helped to detain the 48-year-old suspect. Basu said: "I would like to thank those people who helped police in detaining the man and worked with officers to calmly and quickly get him into our custody. Their restraint in the circumstances was commendable."

Confirming an arrest has been made, Met Police commissioner Cressida Dick said: "London has woken up to the news of another appalling attack on our city.

"My thoughts are with the family of the man who has died and with all those who were injured.

"My officers were on the scene almost immediately, and other uniformed and specialist officers quickly arrived to support them. They worked quickly with colleagues from the other emergency services to treat the injured.

"I want to thank all those members of the public who assisted police and emergency services in our task.

"There is now an ongoing investigation by our Counter Terrorism Command to establish why this attack was carried out. London is a city of many faiths and many nationalities. An attack on one community is an attack on all of us.

"Terrorists will not succeed in their attempts to divide us and make us live in fear. Extra officers are on duty in the area to help reassure the local community. They will be there for as long as they are needed.

"Communities will see additional officers patrolling across the city and at Muslim places of worship. We are working as hard as we can to protect all our communities, and we will not be defeated."

After chairing a Cobra meeting following the terrorist attack, May said outside 10 Downing Street that Britain now needs to "condemn this act and to state once again that hatred and evil of this kind will never succeed".

She added: "Today's attack falls at a difficult time in the life of this city, following on from the attack on London Bridge two weeks ago – and of course the unimaginable tragedy of Grenfell Tower last week, on which I will chair another meeting of Ministers and officials later today.

"But what we have seen throughout – whether in the heroism of the ordinary citizens who fought off the attackers at London Bridge; the unbreakable resolve of the residents in Kensington; or this morning the spirit of the community that apprehended this attacker – is that this is an extraordinary city of extraordinary people.

"It is home to a multitude of communities that together make London one of the greatest cities on earth.

"Diverse, welcoming, vibrant, compassionate, confident and determined never to give in to hate.

"These are the values that define this city. These are the values that define this country. These are the values that this government will uphold. These are the values that will prevail."