A Waltham Forest man says people were “shocked and screaming” in the aftermath of an attack where a van was driven into worshippers near a north London mosque.

Adil Rana, from Walthamstow, was a witness as a van hit a crowd close to Finsbury Park Mosque, in Seven Sisters Road, just after midnight this morning (Monday, June 19).

One man has died and eight people are in hospital after the driver, described as a large white man, crashed into the crowd, in what police are treating as a terror attack.

The driver has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Mr Rana, 24, told the Press Association: "The van was driving towards us to try and basically hit us at speed and everyone was shocked and people were screaming.

“There were people on the floor."

Mr Rana said the driver was held on the ground by some of the crowd after getting out the vehicle.

"The driver jumped out and then he was pinned down to the floor and people were punching him and beating him, which was reasonable because of what he's done.

"And then the imam of the mosque actually came out and said 'Don't hit him, hand him over to the police, pin him down'."

Mr Rana said the driver gestured and mocked the crowds as he was taken away by police.

He added: "When he got arrested, he was taunting, saying 'I'd do it again, I'd do it again'."

The attacker struck as the area was busy with worshippers attending Ramadan night prayers at the mosque.

Another witness described being surrounded by bodies in the wake of the attack outside the nearby Muslim Welfare House.

Met Police deputy assistant commissioner Neil Basu, said: “Sadly Londoners are waking to the news of another dreadful incident in the Capital that has left a number of people seriously injured.

“The attack unfolded whilst a man was receiving first aid from the public at the scene, sadly, he has died.

“Any causative link between his death and the attack will form part of our investigation.It is too early to state if his death was as a result of the attack.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected by the incident at Seven Sisters Road and their family, friends and their communities.

“No matter what the motivation proves to be, and we are keeping an open mind, this is being treated as a terrorist attack and the Counter Terrorism Command is investigating.

“This was an attack on London and all Londoners and we should all stand together against extremists whatever their cause.”