Police arrest second suspect after man ‘armed with axe’ entered Manchester mosque during Ramadan
A second suspect has been arrested on suspicion of plotting an attack after a man armed with an ax was arrested during Ramadan prayers at a mosque in Manchester.
Police were called to Manchester Central Mosque at around 8.40pm on Tuesday evening after reports of two men entering the building acting “suspicious”.
Greater Manchester Police said a suspect in his 50s remained in police custody after being arrested at the scene on suspicion of carrying an offensive weapon and being in possession of class B drugs. Police said a second suspect, a man in his 20s, was taken into custody.
No one was injured and authorities said there was “no intelligence” that the incident posed a wider threat to the community. GMP added that police were not looking for any other suspects.
Deputy Chief Constable John Webster said: “Our investigation is progressing rapidly and has led to our arrest of this remarkable man this morning. Detectives will be interviewing him today.
“We continue to take this incident seriously and have been given extra time by the courts to question the first person so that we can thoroughly investigate all possible avenues of inquiry into the circumstances.
“We know this is a worrying time for many of our communities and we are committed to taking action on the concerns reported to us.”
Sir Keir Starmer expressed concern about the incident on Wednesday, saying: “I know this will be worrying for Muslim communities, particularly during Ramadan, a time of peace and reflection.
“I would like to thank the volunteers and emergency services for their quick response.
“We have funded up to £40 million for additional security at mosques, Muslim schools and community centres, and we will continue to take action to ensure communities can live without fear.”
In the statement made by the mosque, it was stated that there was a “serious security incident” during the prayer. Volunteers reportedly spotted a “suspicious bag containing an axe” before taking a man to a separate room.
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