Assistant Chief Constable John Webster has provided an update into relation to the ongoing investigation following an incident at Manchester Central Mosque yesterday evening
At a press conference outside the Manchester Central Mosque on Upper Park Road, ACC Webster said: “Last night, a concerning incident took place here at Manchester Central Mosque. A man with a bag containing an axe was acting suspiciously, during a congregation involving hundreds of worshippers.
“The security staff here acted on their suspicions to challenge the man.
“One of our special constables, who was off-duty and was part of the congregation, called the incident into us and we responded within 15 minutes by searching the suspect, arresting him, and seizing the items he had on him.
“There was no suggestion of verbal threats or confrontation, but it’s really important the security staff here and volunteers acted on their suspicions, on their instincts, to call us. I thank them for their actions.
“This is a time where Muslims come together to observe Ramadan. They should feel safe in their place of worship. We do give places of worship increased attention during this period, as we do with all religious festivals.
“We do understand, and we are listening, to all concerns. We’ll be listening to the concerns here at the Manchester Central Mosque here this evening. I look forward to some further conversations.”
