'It is heart-breaking' - 18-year-old stabbed after attending Ramadan prayers at Smethwick mosque

Mr Afzal, who lived near the worship centre was discovered with serious injuries following reports of disorder in the car park at the premises, in Oldbury Road, Smethwick at just before 9pm on February 20.

He was among around 200 people who had been attending Friday night prayers at the Jamia Masjid ahead of the end of the day's fasting when he was attacked in the enclosed car park.

A mosque member, aged 48, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said: " It is heart-breaking. I knew Zeshan and his father. He was a good kid. He used to attend the mosque. I wasn't at the service last night, but my 19-year-old son was there. The speech finished at about 9am and some people were leaving while others were socialising inside.

"My son came outside at about 9.10 and the ambulance and police were already here.

"We don't know what happened, but there is talk of some other kids who were here outside and then there was fighting going on. I can only assume that there may have been some kind of tension for something like this to occur.

"There  was about 200 people here  of all ages. There are cameras here so the police will be able to check them to see what happened. Kids today don't use their heads. They think it' cool to have a knife. This is a very sad day, we didn't expect anything like this to happen here.

"Young people these days have no respect. We don't event wear shoes inside the mosque never mind  bringing knives to the premises. The incident is also having an impact in the community because  people haven't been able to remove cars from the car park due to the investigation. I came to ask if my friend can collect his car, but the officers guarding the place said we can't because of the investigation.

"When someone dies we normally gather in the mosque to pray, but under the circumstances we haven't been allowed to do that this morning. We're hoping we'll be allowed in later today." 

Oldbury resident Josh Brown, an electrician, said: "I was on my way to the gym when I saw the police here. It's crazy that something like this is happening. I'm shocked to some degree, but sadly stabbings in this area is nothing new. It's become almost a daily occurrence. It's a shame  because a murder scene is not something you want to see when you're walking down the road in your community."

Mohammed Ali, aged 55, a pizza shop worker, said: "I'm not surprised that someone has died because of the behaviour of some of the young people these days, but I'm sad that a pupil has died outside his own mosque. I'm a Muslim and while I don't come to this mosque I feel for his family. 

"When young people die they lose everything, their lives and their future. Just last year a young man died in a crash opposite here. The car hit the tree."

Stabbing victim Mr Azfal, who lived in nearby Beresford Road, was confirmed dead a short time after the incident at the site next to Redwood Trade Centre.

Two other men - aged 19 and 22 - were taken to hospital although their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

West Midlands Police has ruled out any racial motive for the stabbing.