Weapons found in mosque raid

Police used battering rams in the night-time raid

A stun gun, blank-firing replica firearm and CS gas canister were among the items seized in a raid on a London mosque, police have said.

Seven people were held by anti-terrorist officers after the night operation at the mosque in Finsbury Park, north London.

Scotland Yard said the "intelligence-led" raid was linked to the discovery of the poison ricin in nearby Wood Green earlier this month.

It [police raid] was very childish, just propaganda

Sheikh Abu Hamza

Abu Hamza profile

The cleric at the North London Central Mosque, radical preacher Sheikh Abu Hamza, told the BBC there had been "a clear desecration".

He maintained the police had been "unprofessional" in raiding a location that was under constant surveillance.

"Anytime they wanted to visit or search they were welcomed."

The cleric - who was not arrested - dismissed the discovery of weapons at the mosque, suggesting they could have belonged to a cleaner or security guard who had been staying in the building.

"This is no terrorist weapon... this has got nothing to do with the mosque."

He also criticised the heavy-handed nature of the 0200 GMT raid, which involved helicopters, dozens of police vans and 150 officers - some using battering rams.

Mr Hamza added: "It was very childish, just propaganda."

Click here for a map of the area

Police also said a large quantity of documents - including passports, identity cards and credit cards - were recovered. These have been taken away for examination.

Of the seven men arrested, six were described as North African and aged between 23 and 48, and one as east European and aged 22.

Whenever anything does kick off around here it always seems to be connected to that mosque

Neighbours startled by raid - click here for full story

The men, said to be "residing" at the mosque, were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 and taken for questioning to a central London police station.

Scotland Yard said intelligence suggested the mosque had been involved in recruiting terrorists, and in supporting terrorism in the UK and abroad.

Officers were primarily looking for documents, computers and people, and no chemical substance had been found in the mosque, it said.

Police insisted the raid was carried out sensitively, and said they had not entered parts of the mosque used for prayer, instead focusing on office and accommodation areas.

They said they had "no quarrel" with ordinary worshippers at the mosque, and had been handing out leaflets suggesting alternative places of worship.

'Determined effort'

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Trotter said the raid had been highly successful, and he expected it to lead to "more action in the future" as "part of our absolutely determined effort to keep the country safe".

Home Secretary David Blunkett said the operation had his "complete support".

He said in a statement: "We must take firm action to investigate, and if necessary deal with, any potential threat to public safety without fear or favour."

Sheikh Abu Hamza faces exclusion from the mosque because of "inflammatory and highly political" speeches at prayers.

The Charity Commission wants him expelled as an agent of the North London Central Mosque trust, which runs the mosque, because of his "political" preaching.

He has until late on Monday to answer complaints, but has said he would have to be "put in prison" before he stopped preaching.

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