AN Islamic centre has said it fears copycat attacks after a terrorist drove into a crowd of Muslims leaving a mosque in London.

Today's terrorist attack at Muslim Welfare House, in Finsbury Park, killed one person and left eight injured.

Kashif Ahmad, imam at Al Falah Braintree Islamic Centre in Silks Way, has condemned the attack and urged communities to come together.

He said: “Our prayers and our thoughts go out to the victims and those that have been injured.

“Everyone becomes a bit more alert and slightly more worried about copycat attacks, which might happen in smaller towns - someone might see what’s happened and think it’s interesting or fun.

“Obviously after recent events in Manchester, London and Europe there seems to be some hatred to the Muslim community, they are failing to understand the majority of them don’t agree with the terrorist attacks.”

The centre was previously targeted by a man, armed with two knives, who threw a smoke device into the centre five hours after soldier Lee Rigby was killed in May 2013.

The second incident happened in January this year when two men set fire to bin bags and threw them on the roof of the mosque driveway, melting a hole through it.

Mr Ahmad has even been shouted at in the street.

He said: “You’re walking around across the town and you get quite a few looks, sometimes they say things, especially if I’m dressed up in my imam gear.

“The other day someone kept shouting coward at me as I walked to Tesco, I don’t know why.

“I think if people have any issues or are misunderstanding, the best thing they can do is sit down and have a discussion. The mosque is open to everyone.”

Braintree Mp James Cleverly said: “Obviously the Muslim community in Braintree is small, but I think now is a really good time that we should show everybody that we are able to pull together and put our differences aside.

“This weekend we had all the reflections from Jo Cox, with there’s more in common than that which divides us, which is more important now than ever before.

“It’s a tiny minority of people that do these attacks, but we have to stand up and say the Muslim community is part of our local community.”

Al Falah Braintree Islamic Centre has organised a family fun day from 10am to 4pm in Weavers Park, Braintree, on July 9.