Mosque terror attack victim 'died of multiple injuries'

A 51-year-old man who was among the victims of the suspected terror attack outside a north London mosque on Monday died from "multiple injuries", a post-mortem examination has found.

Scotland Yard said Makram Ali, from Haringey, was married with four daughters, two sons and two grandchildren.

Witnesses at the scene in Finsbury Park said Mr Ali appeared to suffer a medical episode in the moments before the attack happened.

Nine other people were taken to hospital when a van driver targeted the area busy with worshippers attending Ramadan night prayers at the nearby mosque.

Mr Ali, who came to the UK from Bangladesh when he was 10 years old, was said to be a well-known face around Finsbury Park, with many who live in the area recognising him from regular visits to cafes for tea and attendance at worship.

A statement from Mr Ali's family read: "We are devastated by the loss of a husband, father, brother and grandfather, Makram Ali, in this tragic event.

"Our father was a quiet, gentle man. He didn't get involved in political or social discussion; he instead took comfort and enjoyment spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren, and he was always ready to make a funny joke when you least expected.

"We wish everyone to know what a loving man he was. He spent his whole life without any enemies, choosing a quiet life instead.

"We as a family have always believed that the actions of one person cannot be a reflection of a whole people and I have no doubt that our father would not wish for there to be any retaliation or recriminations and would urge people to remain calm and to pray for peace in these difficult times."

Detectives are continuing to question attack suspect Darren Osborne, 47.

Mr Ali's family said they were trying to piece together what happened on the night he died.

In a statement, they said: "We know that he had some form of collapse because of his weak leg, a condition he suffers from, before recovering, sitting up and expressing a wish to return home, only to then become a victim of this horrific incident - an incident made only more tragic as he had only just completed his evening prayers, something he did regularly. He took great comfort in the feelings of peace his prayers provided.

"At present we are getting a clearer picture of what exactly happened to our father and we are getting regular updates from the police, who have been extremely helpful so far. We wish to thank them and the emergency services for their work and we'd especially like to thank those people who helped our father in his last moments and also thank all the people who have left messages of condolence and flowers at the mosque.

"Until we know more, we would ask everyone to respect our privacy so that we may grieve in peace and come to terms with the immense loss in our lives."

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said specialist counter-terrorism officers have spoken to 28 witnesses who were at the scene.

He said: "We are very grateful to everyone who has provided information so far - their accounts are assisting the investigation hugely - but we need more people to come forward and tell us what they saw and what they know about the driver of this van. If you think you may have spoken to the driver, please get in touch."

Detectives have trawled through around 80 hours of CCTV so far.

They have visited 140 locations and recovered 33 digital devices from a number of addresses in Wales.

Images of the van showed it was rented from Pontyclun Van Hire in Pontyclun, near Cardiff.

Imam Mohammed Mahmoud was hailed for his efforts to calm the chaotic situation in the aftermath of the attack and was said to have used his body to shield the suspect from the fury of onlookers.

On Wednesday, the Prince of Wales delivered a personal message of solidarity from the Queen as he visited faith leaders and community members.

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