Prayer leader stabbed at London mosque

UK police have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder after he reportedly stabbed a muezzin, or prayer leader, at a central London mosque.

The Metropolitan Police said officers responded to reports of a stabbing at the mosque at 3.10pm local time.

"A man was found with stab injuries," the police said, adding that they were awaiting updates on his condition in hospital.

The suspect was "arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder," the police said.

Photographs posted online showed police subduing a man inside Regent's Park Mosque, one of London's best-known mosques

"It is extremely worrying to see that a white male individual has run into Regent's Park Mosque at prayer time, and stabbed the Muaddhin (muezzin) in the neck," tweeted Miqdaad Versi, a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).

Versi said he was "awaiting independent verification" of the details of the attack.