HUNT FOR KNIFEMAN
Armed police surround London Central Mosque after man is stabbed to death and ‘suspect runs inside’
ARMED cops sealed off a mosque in London last night after a man in his early-20s was stabbed to death in a nearby street.
Police say the attack was not terror related — but officers reportedly entered the mosque near Regent's Park to search for suspects amid reports they ran inside.
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The Met Police said a man, in his early 20s, was found with stab wounds in a housing block at Elmton Court, Cunningham Place, Westminster, at about 6.15pm, yesterday.
He was treated at the scene with help from paramedics but later died in hospital — making him the 31st murder victim in Lawless London so far this year.
I saw all the blue lights and my heart was in my mouth
Witness Bahir Moulan
WEEK OF BLOODSHED
At about the same time yesterday, a 17-year-old was repeatedly stabbed in Markhouse Road, in Walthamstow, East London.
And the day before a 25-year-old man was shot dead in broad daylight in West Norwood, in South London.
It comes amid a string of attacks this week, with six people including four teens stabbed on Tuesday alone.
ARMED POLICE AT GATE
Witnesses at the mosque last night claimed they saw two men being detained in handcuffs.
But the Met said no arrests have been made and officers continue to hunt the suspects.
Video from outside the mosque shared on social media showed armed police at the gates to the London Central Mosque, near Regent's Park, as a helicopter circled overhead.
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A police cordon was in place at the mosque following the incident, with officers flanking parts of the building's perimeter, as a helicopter methodically circled overhead.
Witnesses say a man ran into the mosque shortly after the stabbing.
One of them, Bahir Moulana, said he was walking towards the mosque as the police were pushing people back before they closed the main gate.
With a number of armed officers at the scene, the 39-year-old said it gave him the ";jitters", especially following the recent attack at two mosques in New Zealand.
Mr Moulana said: "I saw all the blue lights and my heart was in my mouth."
'TWO GUYS RAN IN'
With worshippers eventually led out of the building, he added: "There was one girl who said she saw two guys run in.
"Someone else told me the police were chasing them."
Mr Moulana said he saw two people being detained and put in handcuffs by the police at the mosque.
He said: "The police just surrounded them.
"I saw that at around 7pm."
One neighbour, near Elmton Court, said she saw the stab victim being treated by paramedics.
She said: "I looked out of the window at around 6.30pm and I saw him on the floor... he was already getting CPR."
The neighbour added that before the attack she heard someone saying "What happened? What have you done?" before she then went to see what was going on.
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A police spokeswoman confirmed the incident is linked to a raid at a nearby mosque.
She said: "We do have officers searching the area for the suspects."
The Met tweeted that the attack was not terror-related.
It said: "Officers continue to deal with a stabbing at Cunningham Place/Park Road, Westminster.
"We can confirm that this incident is not terror related.
"Searches for suspects are ongoing."
A police cordon was in place at the mosque following the incident, with officers flanking parts of the building's perimeter, as a helicopter methodically circled overhead.
A section of the A41 Park Road was also closed off by police.
The Labour MP for Westminster North, Karen Buck, said on Twitter: "Deeply saddened to hear this awful news.
"Police have been in contact with me and we await further details."
No arrests have been made.
CRIME EPIDEMIC
There were 44 violent deaths in London by March 26 in 2018 compared with 29 killings this year —a figure that grew to 31 yesterday.
Last week a university student was shot and stabbed to death in an “unprovoked” attack in north London and was the eighth person in a week to be killed in the capital.
Russell Jones, 23, died after being ambushed outside shops near Ponders End station in Enfield on Saturday March 23.
On Tuesday night, six people, including four teenagers, were stabbed in yet another night of bloodshed in London.
One boy was slashed in the face metres from a North London police station while another was knifed multiple times with "massive blades" in front of terrified children.
Victims were stabbed in Blackheath, South East London, Barking, East London, Hounslow, West London, and Tooting, South West London, and Tottenham in North London on Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police said.
On March 1, 17-year-old Jodie Chesney was stabbed to death in a random attack.
A boy, also 17, has been since been arrested on suspicion of her murder.
Violent crime is at an all time high in the UK's capital, and Met Police are calling for politicians to find a solution.
MOST READ IN NEWS
Commissioner Cressida Dick told the Commons Home Affairs Committee the past few years had been “deeply worrying” with more younger people involved and more knives on our streets.
She added: “The last couple of years undoubtedly have been the highest and most worrying levels in my service. If you look at stabbings of young people, I do think this is a new and tragic and worrying phenomenon.
"It is my number one priority.”
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