An attack on a group of worshippers near a mosque by a man in a white van is being treated as terrorism, police said.

One man died after the driver, described as a large white man, targeted people near the Finsbury Park Mosque in north London early on Monday.

Witnesses described hearing the man, who was detained by members of the public at the scene, shout: "I'm going to kill Muslims".

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said: "This is being treated as a terrorist attack."

Mr Basu said eight people are in hospital and two others were treated at the scene.

All of the casualties were Muslims, he added.

He said: "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."

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

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

Another witness, who wanted to be identified as Abdulrahman, which is not his real name, told the Press Association: "I managed to get the driver of the van.

"He wanted to run away and was saying 'I want to kill Muslims'.

"So he came back to the main road and I managed to get him to the ground and me and some other guys managed to hold him until the police arrived, for about 20 minutes I think, until the police arrived."

Abdulrahman claimed the driver said 'Kill me', as he was being held on the ground.

Mr Basu thanked members of the public who detained the driver, saying "their restraint in the circumstances was commendable".

The driver has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Mr Basu added: "Given the methodology and given what was occurring, what's happened, the tragic incidents across the country, this had all the hallmarks of a terrorist incident.

"That is why the counter-terrorism command were called out to investigate."

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.

In one video, a group of men are seen holding the suspect on the ground as they call for the police.