Mosque raid police question seven

Police remove items from the mosque on Monday

Police are continuing to question seven men arrested during a raid on a London mosque.

A stun gun, blank-firing replica firearm and CS gas canister were among the items seized during the raid at the North London Central Mosque in Finsbury Park early on Monday morning.

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

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.

They are being held at a central London police station under anti-terrorism laws.

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

Anjem Choudary, UK leader of Al-Muhajiroun, which has close links to the mosque, said the raid was a "gross violation" of the Islamic faith.

The police's actions infuriated the mosque's cleric, the radical preacher Sheikh Abu Hamza.

Expulsion attempt

The mosque had been "desecrated", he told the BBC on Monday.

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

Of course, they have to search the mosque, but they could have brought the people out first

Dr Mohammed Sekkoum

Dr Mohammed Sekkoum, of the Algerian Refugee Council, stopped attending the mosque because he objected to Mr Hamza's methods.

But he agreed it was a "mistake" to trespass in a Muslim place of worship.

"Of course, they have to search the mosque, but they could have brought the people out first and then been taken inside themselves," he said.

'Heavy handed'

Mr Hamza - who was not arrested - dismissed the discovery of weapons at the mosque, and said the seven men were security guards, hired to pick up litter outside the mosque.

It [police raid] was very childish, just propaganda

Sheikh Abu Hamza

Abu Hamza profile

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.

Police also recovered a large quantity of documents including passports, identity cards and credit cards.

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 leaflets

Police insisted the raid was carried out sensitively.

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

Other leaflets were handed out to residents in the area explaining why they had taken the action and stressing they had not entered parts of the mosque used for prayer.

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