The man arrested after an attack on Muslims at a mosque in London’s Finsbury Park is believed to be a father-of-four from Weston-super-Mare, the Mercury can reveal.
One person was killed and 10 injured when a van ploughed into a group of worshippers as they exited the mosque at about 12.20am today (Monday).
The van driver was detained by a crowd of witnesses, and held for 15 minutes until police arrived.
He was arrested at the scene, as depicted in the attached video footage obtained by the Mercury’s sister papers in London.
Police have not yet formally released the suspect’s name, but the Mercury understands he is 47-year-old Darren Osborne, who grew up in Weston.
Osborne was raised in the town, attending Broadoak Mathematics and Computing College, and continued living here until a recent move to the Cardiff area.
A number of his family members continue to live in the town.
Friends of Osborne have taken to social media to describe their shock at seeing him pictured as the attacker in national news coverage of the incident.
One person said they ‘always knew he was mad’, while another described it as ‘unbelievable’ and added that it was ‘very sad for his family too’.
His mother Christine, in an interview with ITV, said the first she knew of his alleged involvement was when she saw his picture on the news.
She added, when asked whether she was aware of any extremist links to her son, that there had been ‘none whatsoever’.
Police say they are treating the incident as a terror attack, and add the suspect has been detained on suspicion of attempted murder.
The most recent statement from the Met Police said the suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and taken to a south London police station where he remains in custody.
A spokesman added: “He has further been arrested for the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism including murder and attempted murder.”
The suspect was not previously known to the UK’s security services, Government officials have revealed.
Locally, Avon and Somerset Constabulary has said officers will be carrying out additional ‘high-visibility patrols’ late into the evening, including in areas around mosques.
Neighbourhoods and Partnerships Superintendent Andy Bennett said: “Everyone has the right to live and worship peacefully without fear of being targeted for their ethnicity or religion.
“Over the coming days our neighbourhood teams will be contacting faith leaders to provide them with reassurance and to address any concerns they may have.”
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