A Week After Incident Took Place
Thousands of people have attended a special service of thanksgiving at London’s largest mosque, as it reopened a week on from a major fire which spread through much of the complex.
Half of the building’s ground floor was damaged when the blaze broke out in an administrative area.
Scotland Yard have said they do not believe the incident was related to a hate crime. Two teenage boys were arrested, but then were later released.
The two boys, aged 14 and 16, were arrested on suspicion of arson following the blaze and held in custody. Scotland Yard said the 14-year-old had been bailed until early January while the other boy would face no further action.
The fire at the Baitul Futuh mosque in Morden, said to be the largest in Western Europe, was reported by a member of the public.
A man was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, and London Fire Brigade said the blaze had hit admin buildings though the ”mosque itself is thankfully unaffected”.
The MP for Mitcham and Morden, Labour’s Siobhain McDonagh, spoke of her shock at news of the fire.
”The mosque does a huge amount for the local community. They are tireless raisers of funds for charity – their own charities’ funds and charities in the community,” she said.
