A police vehicle parked outside the mosque in the Victoria Park area of Manchester. Photo / Social media, X, 5Pillars
Counter-terror police in Britain are supporting an investigation after a man carrying an axe and a knife entered a Manchester mosque during Ramadan prayers.
The incident occurred at the Manchester Central Mosque yesterday (NZT) when security staff became concerned about the suspicious behaviour of two men.
Police were called and arrested a white man on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon and class B drugs.
Greater Manchester police said that while it has not been declared a terrorist incident, officers were exploring every line of inquiry and were working with detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing North West.
The force said it had increased patrols around mosques during Ramadan. It is also trying to trace a second man who was seen acting suspiciously near the mosque at around the same time.
He was described as being black, in his late 40s, with an athletic build and short stubbled facial hair.
He was wearing a grey hoody with the hood up, a navy blue jacket with that hood also up, blue tracksuit bottoms, and white trainers.
At a press conference today, the force’s Assistant Chief Constable John Webster said police were alerted to the incident by a special constable who was off-duty at the time.
“Within 15 minutes, we searched the suspect, arrested him, and seized a number of items that he had in his possession,” he said.
He confirmed officers were still questioning the arrested man “to understand what he was doing here with an axe in his bag”.
Webster said police patrols would increase “to offer security and reassurance to our Muslim communities”, with officers working 12-hour shifts to facilitate this.
Manchester Central Mosque is located just south of the city centre near the University of Manchester campus.
The assistant chief constable was joined outside the mosque by Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Bev Craig, leader of Manchester city council.
Burnham told reporters: “Everybody in our city region, whoever they are, whatever faith they follow, should be free at all times to practice that faith, to worship in their communities. And we will never accept a city region where people have any fear of being at their place of worship.”
In a statement issued earlier in the day Webster said: “We’re questioning a suspect in custody after weapons were found on a man at Manchester Central Mosque last night.
“We were called at around 8.40pm to concern from security staff at the mosque about a white man in a high-vis jacket carrying a bag with an axe inside.
“The man had reportedly claimed to be in the mosque to do work on the building, but staff had no knowledge of this.
“They rightly acted on their suspicions and called police.
“There was no suggestion that he made any threats or confronted members of the congregation.
“However, we understand the concern that this suspicious and concerning behaviour caused.
“We quickly responded to the scene where we searched the suspect, arrested him and seized weapons, including an axe, a knife and class B drugs.”
He added: “To ensure we are appropriately exploring every line of inquiry, we are working with detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing North West, but it has not been declared a terrorist incident.”
Hammad Khan, the chairman of the mosque, said the arrested man had been able to walk past security in the mosque because he was wearing a hi-vis jacket.
He claimed the man was seen walking into the main hall where people were praying while carrying a bag with an object sticking out of it – later identified as an axe. He said the man had left the bag in the main hall after volunteers asked him to accompany them into the main office.
“His demeanour was very calm,” said Khan, 46, who was speaking to reporters outside the mosque.
“He wasn’t under the influence of anything. He seemed to be very collected in his appearance and the way he spoke to everybody.”
Khan said volunteers later discovered the man was also carrying a hammer and knife, as well as “some other materials related to World War II and some newspaper clippings”.
He said the man had previously visited the mosque on several occasions but had never been seen worshipping.
Imams at the mosque recognised him as having visited three or four times before, although they had not seen him for about a month and a half prior to the incident, according to Khan.
The mosque’s chairman also criticised the police for claiming that no threats were made during the incident.
He said: “I’ve read the comments from police that no threats were made. I’m disappointed with the language used … Somebody who walks into a place of worship carrying offensive weapons is itself a threat.”
Khan suggested the political rhetoric created by the nearby Gorton and Denton byelection had contributed to rising tensions in the area.
He said: “The byelection in Denton is something we are facing now but Islamophobia has been on the rise for many years. The political rhetoric always plays a part and all the politicians have to be responsible in the way they conduct themselves and give their messaging.”
He added: “Unfortunately the messaging has been irresponsible. There needs to be more responsibility attached.”
The building is near the west boundary of the Greater Manchester constituency of Gorton and Denton. A byelection was triggered last month by the resignation of Andrew Gwynne, a former Labour MP who faced sanction from the Commons over the release of his abusive WhatsApp messages.
Just under 40% of Gorton’s population is Muslim, while the white working class is dominant in Denton, meaning the area has more potential for Reform.
With the ballot set to take place tomorrow, new polling suggests there could be just a single percentage point between Labour, the Greens and Reform.
The mosque said the Muslim community had “experienced a notable rise in threats and hostility over recent years”. It warned congregants to “travel in groups where possible and to ensure that children are not left unattended”.
The mosque added: “The swift and responsible actions of our volunteers played a crucial role in containing the situation. Without their intervention, the consequences could have been far more serious.”
Posting about the incident on X, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I am concerned to hear of the incident at Manchester Central Mosque last night. I know this will be worrying for Muslim communities, especially during Ramadan, a time of peace and reflection.”
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