Gunshot fired outside London mosque during Ramadan prayers

Scotland Yard has launched an investigation after a gunshot was fired outside a mosque in east London during Ramadan prayers on Thursday evening.

The Metropolitan Police said the firearm discharge at Seven Kings Masjid in Ilford is believed to be related to a previous altercation and is not being treated as an Islamophobic hate crime or terror-related incident.

The Met Police's firearms officers attended the scene and confirmed there were no reported injuries or damage to the building.

At this early stage, ballistic evidence recovered from the scene suggests that the weapon was a blank firing handgun. Officers from Trident Specialist Crime investigate. There have been no arrests and enquiries continue, a Met Police statement said.

It said that the incident may have stemmed from an earlier altercation in the street.

Initial enquiries indicated that the incident may have stemmed from an earlier altercation in the street close to the mosque. Officers continue to work closely with ...