What we know: Pedestrians struck near north London mosque

London police, already stretched by a series of major incidents around the capital, are putting more officers on the street to reassure the public after a driver plowed into a crowd of people leaving a mosque early Monday.

"People were shouting this is an act of terrorism, even though he's white", another witness, Hillary Briffa, said, referring to the man taken away be police.

The Prime Minister was speaking following a meeting with security officials and ministers in the Government's Cobra emergency committee in Whitehall.

If confirmed by the authorities as terrorism, it would be the fourth attack since March in Britain and the third to involve a vehicle deliberately driven at pedestrians.

"It is particularly disconcerting as it seemed to be particularly targeted at worshippers just finishing their prayers during the holy month of Ramadan".

When the driver of the van jumped out of the vehicle and tried to run "I tackled him on the floor until the police came", Aidroos told the BBC. The van driver had been detained by the public before being arrested.

Police have not yet determined whether the fatality was a result of the van attack. One person has been arrested.

CNN national terror analyst Peter Bergen said the Finsbury Park neighborhood has a large Muslim population and the nearby mosque has a notorious reputation as a place where Islamist militants used to gather.

In a statement, police said eight people were hospitalized while two others were treated at the scene.

- The driver of the van, a 48-year-old man, was held by people at the scene until police arrived. I have assured the leadership of the Mosque and the Muslim Welfare Centre of our prayers and support. "There were at least 300 people in the mosque praying, and everyone was panicking, everyone was screaming".

The use of a vehicle to mow down pedestrians drew horrifying parallels with the London Bridge attack, when three men drove a van into pedestrians before embarking on a stabbing spree, as well as with another auto and knife rampage in Westminster in March.

It also follows a suicide bombing at a pop concert in Manchester, northern England, in May which killed 22, while in March, a man drove a rented auto into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in London and stabbed a policeman to death before being shot dead.

"People feel unsafe because after the terrorist attacks of London, Manchester, the increase of Islamophobia and hate crimes", he added. Muslim leaders called for calm.

Theresa May's prompt response to the tragedy is in contrast to her evasions after the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.

- "London is a city of many faiths and many nationalities". Vanzella said she went to the window and saw "loads of people gathering" in a corner across the road from her window.

A leader of the Muslim Council of Britain has called for extra security at mosques after a van struck worshippers leaving prayers at the Finsbury Park mosque.

In a statement posted on its website, the Finsbury Park Mosque said it "condemns in the strongest terms a heinous terrorist attack". It has not been associated with radical views for more than a decade.

Ali Habib, a 23-year-old student, said residents are angry that the mosque attack hasn't been portrayed in the same light as the other attacks across the country.