Finsbury Park mosque arson attack: Police release CCTV footage of male suspect

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Police have released CCTV footage of a man suspected of an attempted Islamophobic arson attack on a mosque in Finsbury Park, London.

The footage shows the white man attempting to set a jerrycan of petrol alight before hurling it into the mosque compound late on 27 November. The man, who was wearing a white hooded top, white baseball cap and jeans, then fled on a moped.

Staff discovered the can, which did not ignite, when they opened up the mosque on Saturday morning. Police are treating the incident as a hate crime.

The Metropolitan Police urged anyone who recognises the man in the footage to get in touch. A spokesman said “high visibility patrols” were operating in the area following the incident.

The mosque’s chairman, Mohammed Kozbar, told The Independent: “This was a barrel not a bottle. Whoever threw it was determined to cause huge destruction. Luckily it was raining so it didn’t explode.” The mosque had received a threatening letter the week before, he added, but he did not know if it was linked to the attack.