Finsbury Park attack as it happened: Theresa May booed as she leaves mosque after paying respects to victims

Mr Corbyn added: "An attack on a mosque, an attack on a synagogue, an attack on a church, is actually an attack on all of us. 

"We have to protect each other's faith and each other's way of life. That's what makes us a strong society and a strong community."

Asked whether he expects Theresa May to visit Finsbury Park today, Mr Corbyn said: "It's not up to me to decide what the Prime Minister does."

The Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, has arrived at the scene of the attack and met members of the local community (Victoria Jones/PA) 

Mohammed Shafiq, Chief Executive of the Ramadhan Foundation has said in a statement:

"I utterly condemn the senseless and evil van attack against Muslim worshippers outside the Finsbury Park Mosque in London. According to eye witnesses this was a deliberate attack against Innocent Muslims going about their life. 

"We should make clear that if this attack is confirmed as a deliberate terrorist attack then this should be classed as an act of terrorism. The British Muslim community requires all decent people to stand with us against this evil violence. 

"Rampant Islamaphobia has been on the rise for a number of years and those on the far right have perpetuated hatred against Muslims. They should be called out for their hatred. 

"The days ahead will be difficult, but with unity and tolerance we will prevail. We will not allow these far right extremists to divide our diverse communities. 

"Enough is enough, my condolences and prayers for all the victims and their families. They are in my prayers."

The Communities and Local Government Secretary, Sajid Javid, spoke briefly to concerned residents before being led through the police cordon as he visited the scene.

Flowers have been laid near Finsbury Park Mosque, while police officers have also arranged bouquets from members of the public inside the cordon.

Amnesty International has called for unity in light of the Finsbury Park attack.

Kate Allen, Director of Amnesty International UK, said:

“The reports of this targeted terrorist attack are deeply saddening. The thoughts of everyone at Amnesty International are with all those affected.

“As a nation, we must remain united despite the actions of extremists who seek to divide us.

“There is no place for hate. 

“This weekend millions of Britons joined in the Great Get Together in a huge statement rejecting hatred and division. 

“We must continue to stand against hate and show compassion and understanding for one another in these difficult circumstances.”

The van attack near Finsbury Park Mosque follows warnings of an unprecedented anti-Muslim backlash after recent terrorist atrocities.

Police in London recorded a spike in the number of Islamophobic incidents in the wake of the London Bridge outrage earlier this month, with 20 recorded on 6 June - compared with a daily average of 3.5.

It was the highest daily tally for 2017, and also higher than the numbers registered after the Paris attacks in November 2015, and the murder of Lee Rigby in May 2013.

In a speech last week, a former police chief warned that anti-Muslim sentiment online has been "relentless" following the London Bridge attack on 3 June.

Mak Chishty, an ex-Metropolitan Police commander who had been the country's most senior Muslim officer before his retirement, said: "The backlash has been something of a different scale."

While the circumstances and suspected motivations behind the Finsbury Park incident are yet to be made clear, it comes amid mounting concern over far-right extremism in the UK.

Warnings that the threat could be growing were raised after the conviction of Thomas Mair for the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox last year.

The Government's Prevent and Channel programmes, which work to intervene before individuals are drawn into violent extremism, have seen a rise in the number of referrals linked to far-right ideology.

Counter-terrorism police have said that, while the threat is not of the same gravity as that posed by Islamic State or al-Qaida, there are extreme right-wing groups attempting to provoke violence and sow discord.

Figures on terror-related arrests have shown an increasing number of white suspects are being held.

In the year to the end of March, there were 113 arrests of white people, compared with 68 in the year before - an increase of 66 per cent.

The white ethnic group accounted for 37 per cent of all terrorism-related arrests in the 12 months, compared with 26 per cent in the previous year.

Statistics on individuals' ethnicity are not broken down by type of suspected extremism.

Dr Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society think tank, said: "Coming a year after the murder of Jo Cox, we have witnessed what appears to be another hateful act in the community.

"It is looking increasingly likely that this is the latest example of a growing threat of far-right extremism in the UK.

"The Government must ensure urgently the security services have all the resources they need to investigate and prevent extremism-inspired attacks of whatever origin."