Westminster stabbing: Armed police search area around London Central Mosque after man killed

'The incident is not believed to be terror-related', Scotland Yard says

Armed police sealed off a mosque in central London in connection with a fatal stabbing in Westminster.

The Metropolitan Police said the incident was not terror related.

Officers were searching the area around London Central Mosque, near Regent’s Park, following the stabbing in Cunningham Place.

A man was found with stab wounds later died in hospital, the Met said. His attackers fled and police said there had been no arrests.

Scotland Yard confirmed the area where the mosque is located was being searched in connection with the stabbing and added: “The incident is not believed to be terror-related.”

The Met said in a statement: “Police were called at 6.15pm on Thursday, 28 March to Elmton Court, Cunningham Place, following reports of a man having been attacked. Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service.

“A male was found suffering from stab injuries. He was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital, where he sadly died.”

At about 11.30pm the cordons around the mosque were moved and roads re-opened. Armed officers could also be seen leaving the scene.

A Met statement said: "Cordons include the nearby London Central Mosque. These cordons are likely to remain in place overnight."

Bahir Moulana said as he was walking towards the mosque the police were pushing people back before they closed the main gate.

The 39-year-old told the Press Association the number of armed officers at the scene gave him the “jitters”, especially following the recent attack at two mosques in New Zealand.

“I saw all the blue lights and my heart was in my mouth,” Mr Moulana said.

With worshippers eventually let out of the building, he added: “There was one girl who said she saw two guys run in. Someone else told me the police were chasing them.”

Mr Moulana said he saw two people being detained and put in handcuffs by the police at the mosque, however the Met said it continues to hunt the suspects.

“The police just surrounded them. I saw that at around 7pm,” he added.

A police cordon was in place at the mosque following the incident, with officers flanking parts of the building’s perimeter, as a helicopter methodically circled overhead.

A section of the A41 Park Road was also closed off by police.

The Labour MP for Westminster North, Karen Buck, said on Twitter: “Deeply saddened to hear this awful news. Police have been in contact with me and we await further details.”

At the scene in Cunningham Place, a large collection of used and discarded medical equipment, bloodied bandages, bags, and other items could be seen in the middle of the road.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “I looked out of the window at around 6.30pm and I saw him on the floor... he was already getting CPR.”

She said she had heard someone saying: “What happened? What have you done?”, before she went to look.

The woman also revealed that around five days before the stabbing she saw a police officer close to her property who was “looking over the brick wall and had a metal rod”.

A police search dog could be seen scouring the scene in Cunningham Place, sniffing between vehicles, around the kerbs and across pavements and the street surface while a police helicopter circled the mosque and surrounding area.

Additional reporting by PA