London mosque stabbing: Man charged after prayer leader knifed in neck

A man has been charged over a stabbing attack at London Central Mosque.

Daniel Horton was charged on Friday night with grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article.

The 29-year-old, of no fixed address, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday.

Raafat Maglad, who is in his 70s, was treated in hospital for stab injuries after Thursday’s incident but was later released.

The Muslim prayer leader returned to the mosque in Regent’s Park for Friday prayers, less than 24 hours after the incident.

Scotland Yard said it is not treating the attack as terror-related.

The Muslim Council of Britain said in a statement after the attack: “We condemn this attack. Our thoughts and prayers are with the muezzin and those at the London Central Mosque, its leaders and congregants.

“Although the details of the incident are still coming through, it is deeply distressing to hear of an attack of this nature, with worshippers being targeted in a mosque, a place of spiritual sanctuary.

“Regardless of the motive of the attacker, we must remain calm but vigilant, as we aim to balance the importance of retaining mosques as open spaces, and the security of worshippers. In this light, we will be reissuing our safety advice to mosques across the country.”

Boris Johnson, Sadiq Khan and the Archbishop of Canterbury were among those to share their condolences to those affected in the hours following the shocking incident.

The Prime Minister tweeted: “I’m deeply saddened to hear of the attack at the London Central Mosque. It’s so awful that this should happen, especially in a place of worship. My thoughts are with the victim and all those affected.”

The Mayor of London wrote that he was "deeply concerned" by the incident, adding: "Every Londoner is entitled to feel safe in their place of worship & I want to reassure London’s communities that acts of violence in our city will not be tolerated.

“The Met are providing extra resources in the area.”

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