One dead as van rams pedestrians near London mosque

London : A van ploughed into pedestrians near a London mosque in early Monday, killing one man and injuring eight other people in what Prime Minister Theresa May said was "a potential terrorist attack".

The 48-year-old driver of the van was detained by members of the public and then arrested by police.

Muslim leaders said worshippers were specifically targeted after leaving prayers near Finsbury Park mosque in north London shortly after midnight and linked the incident to a recent rise in anti-Muslim hate crime.

Witness Abdiqadir Warra told AFP the van "drove at people" and some of the victims were carried for several metres along the road.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said it was a "horrific terrorist attack," calling it "deliberate" and aimed at "innocent Londoners, many of whom were finishing prayers during the holy month of Ramadan".

May was due to hold an emergency ministerial meeting later on Monday to discuss the attack.

It comes after two deadly Islamist attacks this year that used vehicles to ram pedestrians -- one earlier this month in the London Bridge area and a March attack in which a man drove a car into crowds on Westminster Bridge.

One witness, Abdul Rahman, told the BBC he saw the van "deliberately run over about 10 or 15 people". Rahman said he and another man wrestled the suspect to the ground and held him down for 20 to 30 minutes before police arrived.

A police statement said "One man was pronounced dead at the scene... Eight people injured were taken to three separate hospitals."

Two other people were treated at the scene for light injuries. Police said the male driver had also been taken to hospital as a precaution and would receive a mental health assessment.

Amateur video footage seen by AFP showed at least three people lying on the ground, including one who was receiving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

"Due to the nature of this incident, extra policing resources have been deployed in order to reassure communities, especially those observing Ramadan," the police statement said.