Detectives say they are now not looking for anyone else following the incident on Tuesday night
10:48, 26 Feb 2026Updated 11:06, 26 Feb 2026
Police have made a second arrest(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
A second suspect has been arrested in connection with the weapons incident at the Manchester Central Mosque.
Police arrested the man, aged in his 20s, earlier this morning (Thursday) on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a section 18 assault. He has been taken into custody to be questioned by detectives.
The suspect is the second person to be arrested after two men ‘armed with weapons’ walked into the mosque on Upper Park Road in Victoria Park on Tuesday night (February 24). They were seen acting ‘suspiciously’ as hundreds of worshippers engaged in prayer during Ramadan.
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It was reported they were carrying bags, with one believed to be containing an axe, a hammer and a knife. Yesterday police said the incident had not been deemed terror-related, but that investigations were ongoing alongside Greater Manchester Police and Counter Terrorism Police.
The first suspect, a man aged in his 50s, was arrested at the scene. He remains in police custody today, with detectives now granted extra time to question him.
GMP said the force is not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident and that ‘there is no intelligence to suggest that this incident poses a wider threat to the community’.
The bag of weapons taken into the Manchester Central Mosque(Image: Submitted)
In a major update issued today, GMP spokesperson said: “Earlier this morning (Thursday 26 February), we have arrested a second suspect in relation to the incident at Manchester Central Mosque on the evening of 24 February 2026. 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.
“There is no intelligence to suggest that this incident poses a wider threat to the community, and we are not looking for any further suspects in relation to this.”
Assistant Chief Constable John Webster said: “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.”
Hammad Khan, president of the mosque, told yesterday how security staff had initially questioned the man who had been seen acting suspiciously during a ‘congregation involving hundreds of worshippers’. He said the incident involving the two males, one he described as being white and one as black, has left Muslims fearing for their safety.
“Everybody is very, very fearful”, he said. In a new statement issued on Wednesday night, the mosque revealed it is implementing tougher security measures ‘with immediate effect’, in the interests of ‘safeguarding worshippers and visitors’.
Police patrols have also been stepped up around mosques during the Ramadan period, with officers placed on 12-hour shifts to offer ‘reassurance’ to those attending prayers.