A man has been arrested after driving a van into worshippers near a north London mosque. 

One witness described being surrounded by bodies in the wake of the incident outside the Muslim Welfare House in Seven Sisters Road at 12.20am on Monday. 

The victims had been breaking the Ramadan fast after worshipping at nearby Finsbury Park mosque. 

The Metropolitan Police described the attack as a "major incident" and said one person was in custody, and there were "a number of casualties". 

London Ambulance Service deputy director of operations Kevin Bate said ambulance crews, advance paramedics and specialist response teams were sent to the scene. 

Prime Minister Theresa May said: "This is a terrible incident. All my thoughts are with those who have been injured, their loved ones, and the emergency services on the scene." 

One resident told the Press Association he jumped out of the way as the van struck pedestrians. 

The man, who did not want to be named, said: "The gentleman went straight down this road, people were just conversing, talking, just doing what we're doing.

"And he just came into all of us.

"There was a lot of people. We got told to move straight away.

"I was shocked, shocked, shocked. There were bodies around me.

"Thank God I just moved to the side, I just jumped. Everyone is hurt. Everyone is actually hurt."

Abdulrahman Saleh Alamoudi said he was among a group of people helping an elderly worshipper who had fallen down when the van swerved towards them. 

He told BuzzFeed News: " I think at least eight or 10 people got injured. Luckily I managed to escape. And then the guy came out of his van and I got him. 

"He was screaming, he was saying, 'I'm going to kill all Muslims, I'm going to kill all Muslims'. He was throwing punches.

"Then we managed to get him on the floor. Then he was saying, 'Kill me, kill me'. I said, 'We are not going to kill you. Why did you do that?' He wouldn't say anything."

But another witness at the scene said the attacker did not say anything. 

Aweys Skeikh Ali said: "No, no, he was shocked." 

The Muslim Council of Britain confirmed that worshippers had been targeted in the attack. 

Secretary general Harun Khan said: "During the night, ordinary British citizens were set upon while they were going about their lives, completing their night worship. 

"My prayers are with the victims and their families. It appears from eyewitness accounts that the perpetrator was motivated by Islamophobia. 

"Over the past weeks and months, Muslims have endured many incidents of Islamophobia, and this is the most violent manifestation to date.

"Given we are approaching the end of the month of Ramadan and the celebration of Eid with many Muslims going to local mosques, we expect the authorities to increase security outside mosques as a matter of urgency."

Mr Khan added: "Many will feel terrorised, no doubt be angry and saddened by what has taken place tonight. 

"We urge calm as the investigation establishes the full facts, and in these last days of Ramadan, pray for those affected and for justice." 

There has been an increase in hate crime reports since the Manchester Arena bombing and the London Bridge attack. 

Video posted online of the aftermath of Monday's attack showed a scene of chaos as people tried to help the injured. 

One man could been seen giving CPR to a victim in the street while another man's head injury was treated with a makeshift dressing.

People could be heard shouting and screaming amid the chaos and bloodstains were visible on the pavement.

A group of men are seen holding the suspect to the ground as they scream for the help of police, in one video.

Abdikadar Warfa said: "I saw a man underneath the van. He was bleeding. My friend said he had to lift the van. 

"I was busy with a man who tried to escape. My friend said he said some words, but I didn't hear it. 

"They (people who were hit) were mostly young. They are very bad.

"I tried to stop him (the suspect), some people were hitting him but I said stop him and keep him until the police came.

"He was trying to run away but people overpowered him. He was fighting to run away."

Ratip Alsulaimen told the Press Association several people were injured. 

"When I came I saw ambulance people taking people to the ambulance. 

"I think between eight to 10 people were taken away.

"There was an old man - about 60 years old - I don't know if he's alive or dead.

"There were other people, mid-30 to 40. There are men and women.

"We are shocked when we heard the news because we were just having a good time. We were praying for peace and for Grenfell Tower.

"When we heard this we were actually shocked."

One man, who gave his name as Mohin, said his cousin was caught up in the incident. 

The 32-year-old told the Press Association: "There were a lot of people in the street, crossing the street, going to mosque for prayers, for forgiveness, just to pray and go home and eat.

"They are doing their usual daily routine - they did not expect a van coming out of nowhere hitting them.

"It was around 11.30pm, 12-ish. I've been living here all my life. As a community, everyone's a family here."

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

Finsbury Park mosque was once infamous as the stamping ground of hook-handed hate preacher Abu Hamza. 

A number of terrorists were linked to the mosque, including shoebomber Richard Reid, who attempted to detonate explosives on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami in 2001. 

It was raided and shut down and later reclaimed by the local Muslim community, who have transformed it into a place which actively promotes better community relations across faiths.

In 2015 it was the target of an an attempted arson when a white man with a jerrycan full of petrol tried to light it and throw it over the railings in front of the site before fleeing on a moped. 

London Ambulance Service said later that eight patients were treated at the scene and taken to three London hospitals. A number of patients were also treated at the scene for minor injuries.