A second suspect has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit assault, Greater Manchester Police said, after a man "armed with an axe" was detained at Manchester Central Mosque on Tuesday. A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a section 18 assault, and he remains in police custody for questioning.
The first suspect, a man in his 50s, who was arrested at the mosque during the initial police attendance, remains in custody. A warrant of further detention has been obtained to allow detectives additional time to continue their investigation and conduct further interviews with this man. Volunteers at the mosque alleged the pair were acting suspiciously inside the Upper Park Road building in Victoria Park at around 8.30pm, triggering an emergency police response. The mosque claimed volunteers discovered an axe inside a bag placed in the main prayer hall, while a second man was taken into a separate room where a hammer and a knife were allegedly found. Volunteers said they quickly intervened after noticing the allegedly suspicious behaviour and alerted police.
