A second suspect has been arrested after a man ‘armed with an axe’ walked into a mosque in Manchester on Tuesday.

A man in his 20s has been detained on suspicion of conspiracy to commit assault, Greater Manchester Police said. He remains in custody.

The first suspect, a man in his 50s, who was arrested at Manchester Central Mosque on Tuesday night is also still in custody after police obtained a warrant of further detention.

Greater Manchester Police said there is no intelligence to suggest the incident poses a wider threat to the community and officers are not looking for any more suspects.

Yesterday it was confirmed that counter-terror officers were involved in investigating the incident, after security staff at the mosque spotted a man holding a suspicious bag during a congregation and challenged him.

Hundreds of worshippers were in the building at the time, it was reported. 

It was not suggested that either man threatened or attempted to harm anyone inside, but an off-duty special constable who was in the congregation called in the force, who arrested the first suspect, a white man in his 50s, after seizing items including an axe, a hammer and a knife.

He is being held on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon and class B drugs.

A second suspect has been arrested after a man ‘armed with an axe’ walked into Manchester Central Mosque (pictured) on Tuesday

Hammad Khan, chairman of the mosque, said worshippers had been ‘very, very fortunate’

The second suspect left the scene of the incident of his own volition, prompting a police search.

Volunteers at the mosque in Victoria Park, south Manchester, noticed the man, who was wearing a hi-vis jacket, with a suspicious bag and escorted him to a separate room.

When police were called at around 8:40pm, they searched the man’s bag, which had been left outside in the hall, seized the dangerous objects and arrested him.

GMP said yesterday: ‘The man had reportedly claimed to be in the mosque to do work on the building, but staff had no knowledge of this.

‘We quickly responded to the scene where we searched the suspect, arrested him and seized weapons, including an axe, a knife and class B drugs.

‘At this time, it is not clear what the circumstances or intent, if any, was around this incident.’

According to one eyewitness, the suspect shouted: ‘I’m not a terrorist!’ as he was led away.

Speaking on Wednesday, the chair of the mosque said the man had been to the mosque before and not caused any problems.

However, the incident sparked major safety concerns among the local community.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said yesterday: ‘I am concerned to hear of the incident at Manchester Central Mosque last night.

‘I know this will be worrying for Muslim communities, especially during Ramadan, a time of peace and reflection.

‘My thanks go to the volunteers and emergency services for their quick response.’

Assistant Chief Constable John Webster said today: ‘Our investigation has been working at pace, leading to us making an arrest for the outstanding man this morning. Detectives will be conducting interviews with him today.

‘We continue to take this incident seriously and have been granted extra time by the courts to question the first man, so we can thoroughly explore all possible lines of enquiry into the circumstances.

‘We know this has been a concerning time for many of our communities, and we remain committed to acting on any concerns reported to us. You can do this by contacting us on 101 or via the LiveChat function on the GMP website.

‘Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Always dial 999 in an emergency.’

Patrols in the area have been stepped up in response to the incident, police said. 

Speaking yesterday, chair of the mosque Hammad Khan said: ‘We were all praying inside and some of the volunteers and security were outside the mosque.

‘The volunteers spotted a white male coming in with a high-vis jacket and a big bag that seemed like something was sticking out of it, which we later found was a big axe.

‘The volunteers then saw the male go into the main hall where the prayers were taking place and they then asked them to accompany them into the front office.

‘He left the bag with the axe in the main hall and went with the volunteers into the office where he stayed and spoke to them.

‘He was very calm in his demeanour and they tried to keep him calm until the police arrived and he was arrested.

‘We’ve subsequently looked at CCTV footage and realised he was accompanied by a black male.

‘They came together but as they entered the front the door they had a discussion and split up.

‘And while the white male was in the office, the other male loitered around outside to see what was happening, and just before police arrived he left the premises.’

The volunteers didn’t know the man they led away had an axe in his bag; the weapons were only discovered after police arrested him.

‘We are very, very fortunate the volunteers spotted the bag and the handle, not knowing it contained an axe,’ Mr Khan added.

‘We understand he has visited the mosque before, but never in a high-vis.

‘We’re not sure what his motives were wearing the high-vis, but it appears he walked through the security team wearing the clothes he was wearing.’

He continued: ‘Somebody who walks into a place of worship – a mosque – carrying weapons, that in itself is a threat.

‘You wouldn’t see anybody in the street with an axe and ask them if they posed a threat.’