Second man arrested after reports of armed man in mosque
An initial suspect remains in custody following the incident at Manchester Central Mosque on Tuesday evening.
A second suspect has been arrested after reports of a man armed with an axe entering a mosque during Ramadan prayers.
Police were called to Manchester Central Mosque on Tuesday evening after reports that a man had entered who was later found to have been carrying multiple weapons, including a hammer and an axe.
A white man in his 50s was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon and class B drugs.
Greater Manchester Police had been continuing to search for a black male who was reported as acting suspiciously in the mosque at the same time.
On Thursday, a force spokesman said a man in his 20s had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a section 18 assault.
The first suspect remains in custody and a warrant of further detention has been obtained to allow detectives additional time to question him, police said.
The force said there was no intelligence to suggest the incident posed a wider threat to the community and officers were not looking for further suspects.
Assistant Chief Constable John Webster said on Thursday: “Our investigation has been working at pace, leading to us making an arrest for the outstanding man this morning. Detectives will be conducting interviews with him today.
“We continue to take this incident seriously and have been granted extra time by the courts to question the first man, so we can thoroughly explore all possible lines of inquiry into the circumstances.
“We know this has been a concerning time for many of our communities, and we remain committed to acting on any concerns reported to us. You can do this by contacting us on 101, or via the LiveChat function on the GMP website.
“Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Always dial 999 in an emergency.”
Speaking on Wednesday, chairman of the mosque Hamad Khan said a man wearing a hi-vis jacket had entered the mosque at about 8.30pm when approximately 1,500 people were saying Ramadan prayers.
He was ushered into an office and police were called after an axe was spotted in his bag, he said.
Mr Khan said he had asked for an increased police presence around all the local mosques after a rise in hate mail and threats.
He said: “I stressed, prior to the month of Ramadan, we needed police presence because prayers go on to late at night.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “concerned” to hear of the incident.
He said: “I know this will be worrying for Muslim communities, especially during Ramadan, a time of peace and reflection.”
