A man drove a rented van on to a busy New York cycle path, killing eight people in an incident being treated as a terrorist attack.

The driver was then shot by police after jumping out with what turned out to be two fake guns.

He was taken into custody, and his condition was not immediately disclosed.

At least nine people were injured in the incident near the World Trade Centre in Manhattan.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the attacker had killed eight people in “a particularly cowardly act of terror”.

He said the attack was “aimed at innocent civilians going about their daily lives” and “eight innocent people have lost their lives and over a dozen more are injured”.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said it was a “lone wolf” attack, and there was no evidence it was part of a wider plot.

The White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president and New York native has been briefed by White House chief of staff John Kelly and “will be continually updated as more details are known”.

She said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected.”