The device the suspect was wearing was likely used to create fear, an expert said.
Greater Manchester police have said the device was “not viable”.
Rick Rickard from EODynamics told Sky News: “Based on what’s visible, I can’t say if there’s any enhancements such as fragmentation in it, but the belt has a smaller surface area than would be expected to cause the type of damage a suicide bomber would usually aim to achieve.”
Fake suicide vests have been used in other incidents, including by the Fishmongers’ Hall terrorist, Usman Khan, who killed two people in November 2019.
His hoax device used a weightlifting belt, an Xbox controller, a battery charger and cling film. Khan was shot dead on London Bridge.
Rabbi continued with service after attack
The rabbi at the synagogue which was attacked in Manchester continued with the Yom Kippur service afterwards, a congregant said.
Rob Kanter, 45, a university lecturer with a PhD in Jewish Muslim relations who was inside the synagogue at the time of the attack, told The Guardian that after the congregation was evacuated by police, the Rabbi continued with part of the service.
“Because at the end of the day, because it’s awkward, and it’s difficult, people have got a multitude of emotions going on, but we carried on, and did not [do] the whole service, but we did what we could in the circumstances,” he said.
“At the end of the day, our Rabbi’s role was to try and say, yes, this is a terrible tragedy, but we want to try where possible to remember today as Yom Kippur, and we did as much as we could as a group.”
Some ‘accuse government of rewarding terrorism’
Penny Mordaunt
LEON NEAL/GETTY IMAGES
The government has “opened themselves up to accusations that they are rewarding terrorist activities”, Dame Penny Mordaunt said.
The co-author of a report from the Commission on Antisemitism told Times Radio: “There are clearly decisions that this government has taken, which have opened themselves up to accusations that they are somehow rewarding terrorist activities. And that may be a view that some people may not hold. But clearly, people who are terrorists are interpreting it in that way.
“So I do think there are some things that the government needs to think about with some of its foreign policy that it’s had in recent days.”
She urged the government to have a “zero tolerance policy towards people in the public sector who express particular views that would cause Jewish people to be frightened about using those services that they pay for”.
Lord Dubs: We should be able to worship without fear
Lord Dubs
VICKI COUCHMAN FOR THE TIMES
Lord Dubs said Sir Keir Starmer had got his statement on the attacks “completely right”.
The Labour peer, who came to the UK on the kindertransport before the Second World War, told Times Radio: “It’s a terrible thing that people going into a synagogue have to be told what to do if there’s an emergency. We have to get into a better state with all this and I only hope that at the local community level better co-operation across the board will be helpful. There’s no simple answer when there are people hell-bent on murder, hell-bent on terrorism.”
He added: “All children should be able to go to school without fear. All communities should be allowed to worship in whatever way they choose. Without fear, without the threat of attacks.”
Rabbi’s wife ‘did not know if he had been hurt’
The wife of the rabbi whose synagogue in Manchester was attacked did not know her husband was alive and unharmed until police knocked on her door.
Esther Walker told The Telegraph that she has heard nothing from her husband, Daniel Walker, since he left their house to walk to his synagogue at about 9am. Orthodox Jews are prohibited from using phones on holy days such as Yom Kippur.
She said she was “so relieved” but still does not have much information. “I don’t even know if his parents, who were at synagogue with him, are safe,” she said.
Esther was born in England but grew up in Israel. She added: “I know what it is to have terrorists running around stabbing people and blowing up buses, so we’re not immune to this. But it’s just awful, awful, wherever it is.”
We will not let terror succeed, Burnham vows
Andy Burnham with the home secretary today as she met local police officers
PHIL NOBLE/REUTERS
Andy Burnham promised that Greater Manchester “will never stand aside when one of our communities is attacked”.
The mayor of Greater Manchester condemned “outright” the “horrific antisemitic attack on our Jewish friends and neighbours”.
“We will never let acts designed to cause hatred and division violence in our communities succeed,” he said, urging people to respond by “redoubling efforts to stand together in these difficult times”.
He added that today was “an exemplary blue light response”.
Mahmood: Those seeking to divide us will fail
Shabana Mahmood and Andy Burnham were among officials at the scene today
PHIL NOBLE/REUTERS
Shabana Mahmood said that those who seek to divide us “will fail”.
The home secretary spoke after arriving at the scene in Manchester. She said: “We will do whatever is required to our keep Jewish community safe.”
She said her prayers were with the victims and thanked the police and emergency services.
Mahmood acknowledged that there are “many questions still to be answered” and promised answers will be provided “as quickly as possible”.
She concluded: “To those who seek to divide us: they will fail.”
Mahmood met police officers at the scene alongside the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.
Emma Barnett: Attacker killed my people
I write this knowing not who did it. There is a freedom in that. To be liberated from the blame game for as long as it lasts; from the narrative of speculation as to why a man in my home city of Manchester woke up this morning, armed himself, and decided to go and kill a load of Jews on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
What I do know is this: he went to kill my people; my community; at my old shul. No equivocation. No doubt. Jews were the target and this was planned for the day when as many of them as possible were packed inside a shul praying for their sins. But we will get to that.
• My stomach churned as I saw the news: it was my old Shul in my home city
Badenoch: Too much focus on Israel leads to attacks
Kemi Badenoch said a disproportionate focus on Israel is behind an increase in antisemitic attacks.
The Conservative leader told the PA news agency: “I do think that there are foreign conflicts all around the world. We don’t hear about them. There are Christians being killed in Nigeria. There are terrible atrocities taking place in countries like Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, and many people do not comment on those. They are particularly focused on Israel.
“I think that that’s one of the reasons why we’ve seen attacks like this increase all around the world.”
She added that there has been “far too much tolerance of a lot of rhetoric”, such as calls to “globalise the Intifada” and saying what is happening in Gaza is genocide.
“We do need to dial down the rhetoric,” she added.
Gaza protests set to hit UK rail network
Israeli military personnel board on the flotilla’s vessels on Thursday
LOBAL SUMUD FLOTILLA/AP
Protesters could block trains across the country in protest against Israel detaining activists on the Gaza aid flotilla.
Several protests have been organised at railway stations across the UK for later this evening, according to the British Transport Police.
The group is said to be asking activists to “block the tracks”.
Assistant Chief Constable Sean O’Callaghan urged protesters to “think again”, reminding them that the railway is “an incredibly dangerous environment”.
It comes after Israeli naval forces intercepted and boarded a flotilla carrying activists, including Greta Thunberg, which was attempting to break a blockade and deliver aid to Gaza.
Extra security at north London synagogue
There was police and extra security at St John’s Wood synagogue in north London following the terror attack in Manchester today.
While there are normally a few private security officers at the synagogue on Grove End Road, especially since the October 7 attacks in Israel in 2023, there were about six private security officers and two police officers outside the synagogue on Thursday night.
Police chiefs and ministers have promised extra security for Jewish places of worship since the attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester which killed two people. The attacker was also shot dead.
Netanyahu condemns ‘barbaric terror attack’
Binyamin Netanyahu
EPA/ABIR SULTAN
The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, says his country “grieves with the Jewish community in the UK” after this morning’s “barbaric terror attack” in Manchester.
“Our hearts are with the families of the murdered, and we pray for the swift recovery of the wounded,” he said on X.
“As I warned at the UN: weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism. Only strength and unity can defeat it.”
‘Jewish people belong in Britain’
The prime minister speaking in Downing Street this evening
AP
The prime minister promised Jewish people that the country will “come together to wrap our arms around your community”.
He said: “You will see the other Britain of compassion, decency and love. This Britain will come together to wrap our arms around your community and show you that Britain is a place where you and your family are safe, secure and belong.”
Earlier in his statement, Starmer spoke of how many Jewish families had come to Britain “as a place of refuge, fleeing the greatest evil ever inflicted on a people and Britain welcomed them”.
This country also provided the “security that comes from a promise that this is a country that stands up to hatred and that we don’t just provide refuge, we provide a home”.
Starmer: I’ll do everything I can to protect Jewish people
Sir Keir Starmer vowed to do everything in his power to guarantee Jewish people the “security you deserve”.
He offered his condolences to the families and victims “on behalf of the nation”.
The prime minister added: “I know how much fear you will be holding inside of you. I express my solidarity but also my sadness that you still have to live with these fears. Nobody should have to do that.
“I promise to do everything in my power to guarantee you the security you deserve.”
He said that would start with a more visible police presence in Jewish communities.
Starmer: Antisemitic hatred is rising in the UK
Antisemtic hatred is “rising once again”, the prime minister said from Downing Street.
He said in Britain “even schools” require round the clock protection because of “the daily threat of antisemitic hatred and today shows why”.
“While this is not a new hate, this is something Jews have always lived with, we must be clear it is a hatred that is rising once again,” Starmer said.
Britain “must defeat it once again”, he added.
PM: Vile terrorists have attacked Britain
Sir Keir Starmer has said a “vile individual committed a terrorist attack that attacked Jews because they are Jews and attacked Britain because of our values”.
UK must tackle antisemitism, Israel warns
Gideon Sa’ar, the Israeli foreign minister, has called on the Starmer government to “curb this toxic wave of antisemitism” in the UK.
He said he was “appalled” by the “murderous attack” in Manchester which killed two people at Heaton Park synagogue.
Gideon Sa’ar
ANDREJ CUKIC/ANDREJ CUKIC
“I stand with the wonderful Jewish community of Britain, which is currently suffering from a horrific wave of antisemitism,” he said. “The truth must be told: blatant and rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement, as well as calls of support for terror, have recently become a widespread phenomenon in the streets of London, in cities across Britain, and on its campuses.
“The authorities in Britain have failed to take the necessary action to curb this toxic wave of antisemitism and have effectively allowed it to persist.
“We expect more than words from the Starmer government. We expect and demand a change of course, effective action, and enforcement against the rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement in Britain.”
Police: Device was not viable
Greater Manchester police have said: “We can now confirm that the device the suspect was wearing was not viable.”
The forced added that “major incident status remains”.
Starmer must ‘tone down’ Israel language
A leading member of the Jewish community in Manchester has accused Sir Keir Starmer of making Israel “somewhat of a pariah state” through the government’s policy on Gaza.
Nigel Tobias, a board member of the Jewish Representative Council in Manchester, urged the prime minister to “tone down” the government’s condemnation of Israel because Jewish people are being targeted owing to the situation in the Middle East.
He told Times Radio: “What I would say is that I think the prime minister has made Israel somewhat of a pariah state. Many, many Jews are now conflated with what’s going on there, and the term Zionist, which many Jews are, has become a pariah term.
“And I think that conversation, that discourse, needs to be toned down, and I think the government has a responsibility to do that.”
SAS helicopter lands next to synagogue
SAS helicopters called to Manchester synagogue attack
An SAS “Blue Thunder” helicopter was seen landing in a field close to the scene of the attack this afternoon.
The helicopter landed behind the synagogue. A group of operatives thought to be with the SAS were seen leaving the helicopter.
They were believed to be supporting counter-terror police with their investigation.
Home secretary in Manchester
The home secretary Shabana Mahmood travelled to Greater Manchester Police headquarters on Thursday afternoon for an operational update and to show her support to officers.
She also spoke with the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, as well as with Jewish community leaders, including Marc Levy of the Jewish Leadership Council and Mark Gardner, CST chief executive, to offer support.
Mahmood joined the Cobra meeting led by Sir Keir Starmer remotely from Greater Manchester, it is understood.
The Home Office is expected to give a statement outside the synagogue at 5:30pm.
Kemi Badenoch: UK must look inwards after attack
Today’s attack raises questions about the state of the UK that must be urgently answered, Kemi Badenoch has said.
The Conservative leader said the murders in Manchester “shock us all”.
“On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, Jews take time for introspection,” she added. “To ask themselves — where have we gone wrong in the past, and what do we need to do to be better in the future. These are questions we urgently need to ask ourselves as a nation.
“Today’s murders raise new questions. And they will require new answers.”
Councillors rally for Jewish community
In a joint statement, Crumpsall local councillors Nasrin Ali, Jawad Amin and Fiaz Riasat said they “stood against hatred” following the synagogue attack.
“Today, Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, should have been a special time for our Jewish communities — a time of reflection, atonement and peace,” they said.
“Instead, Crumpsall has been shocked by the horrifying and senseless attack on a place of worship – an act that we condemn in the strongest possible terms.
“We will always stand against hatred and we offer our Jewish friends solidarity and our full support at this time.”
Armed police at scene of attack
A large police and ambulance presence gathered at the scene this morning.
Children were wrapped in foil blankets and families huddled near the synagogue.
The suspect was shot within seven minutes of the first police call-out.
Worshippers ‘fought off attacker’
The Greater Manchester Police chief said worshippers helped to stop the attacker from getting inside the synagogue, alongside security staff.
Sir Stephen Watson said “there were a large number of worshippers attending the synagogue at the time of this attack but thanks to the immediate bravery of security staff and the worshippers inside as well as the fast response of the police, the attacker was prevented from gaining access.”
Suspect ‘shot within 7 minutes of first call’
Sir Stephen Watson, speaking from Crumpsall, said the suspect was “fatally shot by officers within seven minutes of the original call”.
The suspect was “wearing a vest that had the appearance of an explosive device”.
Police said that they have not been able to fully confirm the identity of the suspect yet.
Greater Manchester Police have said during a press conference this afternoon that four people are in hospital with serious injuries.
The car was “driven directly at members of the public”, before the driver attacked people with a knife.
The two people killed this morning were members of the Jewish community, Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson confirmed.
Starmer arrives at Cobra meeting
The prime minister has arrived at Downing Street for a Cobra meeting.
He has flown back from an EU meeting in Copenhagen to attend.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the head of counter-terrorism policing, will also attend. He spoke earlier at the press conference, confirming the attack was a terrorism incident.
Met police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and deputy prime minister David Lammy are among the other attendees.
RASID NECATI ASLIM/ANADOLU VIA GETTY IMAGES
Worshippers were praying during attack
A prayer service was taking place when the terror attack unfolded, according to the Heaton Park Synagogue’s website schedule.
Counter-terror police said at a press conference that they could not reveal the suspect’s identity because of “safety reasons at the scene”.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the national head of counter-terrorism policing, added: “We will ensure every piece of intelligence and line of inquiry is interrogated.”
Extra resources will be deployed to synagogues around the country and police asked people to report anything of concern in their communities.
Photos of ‘suspicious package’
Earlier video appeared to show the suspect wearing what police described as a “suspicious package” around his waist.
Images taken near the scene appear to show the package on the ground, with a belt attached and a knife nearby.
The knife and belt were pictured beside what is thought to be the body of the suspect
Police declare terrorist attack
Counter-terrorism police are giving updates at a press conference following the attack earlier today.
Officers said they believe they know the identity of the suspect and have made two further arrests.
They declared it a terrorism incident.
Man pictured being apprehended by police
One of the two men arrested in connection with the attack has been photographed being apprehended by police.
A resident in White House Avenue who took the photo at 11:48am said they had been advised by counter terror police to stay inside their home while they carried out searches.
They said the two men had been renting a property on the street.
As worshippers gathered inside the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Chava Lewin, a religious Jew who lives next door, heard a loud banging sound.
“I thought it might be a firework. My husband went outside and then ran back inside and said, ‘There’s been a terrorist attack,’” she said.
“I spoke to someone who said she was driving and saw a car driving erratically, and it crashed into the gates (of the synagogue).
• Read in full: What happened in Manchester? How synagogue stabbing attack unfolded
‘This is the culmination of two years of unchecked Jew hatred’
Raphi Bloom, board member of the Jewish representative council of Greater Manchester, said Jewish people had faced a “tsunami of hate” since the October 7 attacks in Israel.
Bloom, who is also a member of the Heaton Park synagogue, said he knew many of the people at the Yom Kippur service.
“For me, it’s incredibly personal. I was there last night praying. People that I know, friends of mine were inside,” he told Times Radio.
“The rabbi is a good friend of mine and it’s a shocking day, but sadly a day that we all knew would come to pass. This is the culmination of two years of unchecked Jew hatred, targeting the Jewish, UK Jewish community for a war that’s going on two and a half thousands miles away.”
Bishop’s plea over rhetoric
The Right Rev David Walker
JOEL GOODMAN/LNP
The Bishop of Manchester, the Right Rev David Walker, said it was important not to allow rhetoric “get ahead of our humanity” as he responded to the attack at a synagogue in his diocese.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s World At One, he said: “It’s really important that we recognise the power of our words, and that we don’t allow our rhetoric to get ahead of our humanity.”
He said that he hopes the attack on the synagogue will “cause us all to take careful stock of who we are and what we are and what sort of society we want to be, and that short-term political gain is no excuse for long-term damage to the fabric of our communities”.
Officers break into suspect’s car ‘as precaution’
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said local residents would have heard a “loud noise” as specialist officers gained entry to the suspect’s car “as a precaution”.
Police, who confirmed the suspect was shot dead by officers at the scene, said there was no further risk to the public following the attack on the synagogue which killed two victims.
“People are urged to avoid the area and speak to our officers if they have any concerns. We have officers deployed across key sites in the local area,” it said. “We can confirm three people have died, including the offender, who was shot dead by GMP firearms officers.”
Attack was ‘tragically foreseeable’
Alex Hearn from Labour Against Antisemitism said: “This deadly attack was tragically foreseeable. For too long, incitement against Jews has been allowed to flourish under successive governments without adequate consequences.
“We have watched this hate take root in institutions from universities to unions. The normalisation of dehumanising Jews has become so pervasive that some may seek to blame Jews even for this vicious attack against them.
“The right to worship safely is a cornerstone of democracy, and it should not be life-threatening to exercise this fundamental human right. This attack on British Jews is also an attack on our democracy and must serve as a wake-up call to the government and society at large.”
Extra police arrive at synagogues
Officers at the Reading Hebrew Congregation
ANDREW MATTHEWS/PA
And outside Central Synagogue in Westminster
TAYFUN SALCI
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that the suspect in the Manchester synagogue attack is dead after being shot by armed officers.
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceCounter-terror officer at scene
An elite armed counter-terror officer has been pictured outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue after this morning’s attack.
The Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officer appears to be armed with a German-made Heckler & Koch HK416 with a telescopic sight and a laser attachment, which is used by American special forces such as Seal Team Six and Delta Force.
The officer, who belongs to a network of officers based in six regional hubs around the country to respond to terrorist incidents, has been specially trained to the highest authorised level in the National Police Firearms Training Curriculum.
Their training, which is sometimes conducted with the UK’s Special Forces, includes close quarters combat, explosive entry and fast roping from helicopters.
A man who lives on a street being searched by police said two men were led away in handcuffs. He did not know the men, or which house they were linked to.
“They’ve closed the road and there’s a police helicopter just over us. There were six or seven police cars with armed police,” he added.
He said White House Avenue was a no-through road and was usually “very quiet”.
British Jews feared this was coming
Vandalism at synagogues and antisemitic abuse in the street and online have risen sharply in Britain since the October 7 terror attack of 2023, and spurred fears of a fatal attack in this country (Kaya Burgess writes).
Those fears have now been realised with the attack at a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Additional police officers are being deployed to protect synagogues across the country.
• Read in full: British synagogues feared an attack like Manchester was coming
Police search nearby house
A police cordon has been erected on White House Avenue, a residential cul-de-sac about 500 metres away from the synagogue.
An ambulance could be seen at the end of the road near a house, which officers appeared to be searching.
Emergency services on White House Avenue
PETER BYRNE/PA
Emergency care plea from NHS
A spokesperson for NHS Greater Manchester has urged people to attend Accident & Emergency departments only if their condition is urgent or life-threatening.
“Our priority is to ensure the safety and care of patients and staff across the region, and we are closely working with partners to manage any impact [from the attack] on local hospitals and emergency departments,” the spokesperson said.
“We urge the public to only attend the Accident & Emergency departments if your condition is urgent or life-threatening.
“This will help us prioritise care for those most in need and ensure emergency teams can respond effectively to this incident.”
Controlled explosion outside synagogue
A loud bang has been heard outside the synagogue, believed to be a controlled explosion.
Police confirmed earlier that a bomb disposal unit was on the scene after a suspicious item was found on the suspect’s person.
PAUL CURRIE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Personnel from 11 EOD and Search Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, the army’s specialist unit for handling improvised explosive devices, have been deployed to help counter-terrorism police.
Rabbi led people to safety
The rabbi at the synagogue, Daniel Walker, has been photographed with blood on his robes as it emerged he had led the congregation to safety.
Walker was pictured with blood on his kittel, a white robe worn by Ashkenazi Orthodox Jews.
PAUL CURRIE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Chava Lewin, who lives in the flat next door, said: “I heard the rabbi, Rabbi Daniel Walker, was extremely calm and led people to safety.”
She added that people inside the synagogue were able to barricade themselves in after the attacker managed to get through the gate.
‘What happens to Jews, happens to the rest of us’
Lord Pickles, the former UK special envoy on post-Holocaust issues, said the incident at the Manchester synagogue was a “clear example of an antisemitic attack”.
“I think it’s just heartbreaking … People are motivated, I think, not by current events, but by the desire to kill Jews,” he told Times Radio. “It’s a hatred as long as the hills.”
RYAN JENKINSON FOR THE TIMES
Pickles said his Jewish friends were “genuinely concerned” about their safety, adding: “We need to understand that what happens, you know it’s a cliché about what happens to Jews, happens to the rest of us.
“They’re on the front line, being attacked by a number of people who actually want to see the end of liberal democracy, who want to impose a kind of intolerance that we see in other parts of the world.”
‘I thought it was just a car crash’
Esther Aronson, 39, said she heard “banging” sounds and initially thought it was a car crash.
“This has come as such a shock for the community,” she said. “At first, I heard the bangs and thought it was a car crash but then I heard all the sirens.
“We always have security concerns in the local community. I heard Rabbi Walker saved lives through his actions, but there were other heroes who saved lives.”
Volunteer security guard’s shock
Gary, 60, said he had been due to provide security at the synagogue at 10.30am.
“I am shocked it’s happened on Yom Kippur,” he said. “It’s the sort of thing you see on TV or expect to happen in other countries.
“All the security is provided voluntarily and I was due to start at 10.30am, about an hour after the attack happened.
“We’re told to look out for things and be aware of what might happen, but you don’t really expect something like this.
He added that the situation in Gaza could have provoked the attack because “people look at what’s going on there and muddle it with antisemitism”.
Muslim leader: We cannot ignore growing religious hatred
Qari Asim, the senior imam at the Makkah Mosque in Leeds, who co-chairs the British Muslim Network, has condemned the attacks and expressed solidarity with Britain’s Jewish communities.
“I am horrified by the violent attack outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur,” he said. “My thoughts are with the victims, their families and British Jewish community, who are understandably shaken and hurt.
“This act of violence is utterly abhorrent and has no place in our society. Places of worship must always be sanctuaries of peace and safety, not scenes of fear and hatred.
“We cannot ignore the growing tide of religious hatred in our country. Whether it is Islamophobia, antisemitism or any form of bigotry, we must confront it together with unity and courage, not silence.
“As a British Muslim leader let me be clear: antisemitism in all its forms is totally unacceptable.”
Holy day of fasting and prayer
Yom Kippur is a day of deep introspection and repentance, occurring ten days after the Jewish New Year.
The day is marked by 25 hours of fasting and prayer. Many Jews attend religious services and security is normally increased outside synagogues.
Many Jewish people do not access social media or television on the holy day.
An attack on a synagogue in Halle, Germany in 2019, in which two people were killed, also took place on Yom Kippur.
‘Manchester stands with Jewish community’
Bev Craig, the leader of Manchester City council, said she was horrified by the attack at Heaton Park synagogue, and urged the city to “come together” to support the Jewish community.
“We are all horrified by this shocking and reprehensible attack on members of Manchester’s Jewish community, on their holiest day,” she said.
“Our thoughts are with those who have been killed and seriously injured, their loved ones and with everyone who has been affected by this awful incident.”
She added: “Manchester stands with our Jewish community at this darkest of moments, and will come together as a city.”
Synagogue was marking ‘special day’ for people who lost parents
The synagogue was filled at the time of the attack with people who had lost their parents, a witness said.
“It’s supposed to be a special day and allows people to bond together,” they said. “So it’s terrible for all those involved.”
CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/GETTY IMAGES
His wife added: “I heard the rabbi, Rabbi Daniel Walker, was extremely calm and led people to safety.”
Attacker ‘crashed car and started stabbing everyone in sight’
Chava Lewin, 30, who lives with her husband in a flat next door to the synagogue, described how the attacker had driven his car into the synagogue before knifing a guard.
She said: “At first, I heard banging and I thought there had been a car crash. But after the banging came shots.
“My husband had run out [of] the flat to see what was going on and he said there had been a terrorist attack at the synagogue. I went out to see what was going on and a woman who was there told me what [had] happened.
“She said somebody had crashed their car and then got out and started stabbing everyone in sight.
“The attacker stabbed a security guard first; there’s always security on the gate. Then he managed to get into the courtyard.”
Video shows moment police confront suspect
Antisemitism in UK ‘needs dedicated response’
Security experts have said the attack shows the need for a dedicated national strategy specifically to tackle antisemitism in the UK.
Paul Stott, head of security and extremism at the Policy Exchange, said: “The targeting of a synagogue and Jews on Yom Kippur, point strongly to an antisemitic terrorist attack.
“The challenge the UK faces here is deep and enduring, and has gone on far too long. It now requires a dedicated, sustained response.”
Suspected attacker pictured
Pictures circulated on social media appear to show the suspect who carried out this morning’s attack.
A bald man with a beard can be seen wearing a suspected bomb around his waist and carrying something in his hand.
He is believed to be dead, after being shot by armed officers, but this will not be confirmed until the bomb disposal unit has dealt with the device on his body.
Attack deeply distressing, says Israeli embassy
The Israeli embassy described the synagogue attack as “abhorrent and deeply distressing”.
“The embassy of Israel in the United Kingdom condemn the attack carried out today on Yom Kippur at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester,” it said in a statement.
“That such an act of violence should be perpetrated on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, in a place of prayer and community, is abhorrent and deeply distressing.”
Members of the community comfort each other after the attack
PAUL CURRIE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The embassy thanked Greater Manchester police for their quick response.
“The thoughts and prayers of the people of Israel are with the victims, their families and the entire Jewish community at this difficult time,” it added.
Security normally high on Jewish holy days
Nick Aldworthy, a former chief detective superintendent, said security at synagogues around Jewish holy days was normally very comprehensive.
“The Jewish community is also incredibly well equipped to protect itself,” he told Times Radio. “The Community Security Trust is an exceptional organisation partly funded by the government to provide security presences at synagogues and it is my understanding at the moment that one of the casualties may well have been a security officer.
“But in the event of any terrorist attack, or any attack of this type which is still open and ambiguous, the police will want to make sure that firstly they reassure the public that they’re there and ready to respond but secondly there as a preventative measure to stop anything else from happening.”
It has yet to be confirmed whether the security guard who was stabbed at the synagogue was part of the Community Security Trust.
King and Queen: Our thoughts are with the victims
The King said he was shocked and saddened by the attack.
In a statement he said: “My wife and I have been deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the horrific attack in Manchester, especially on such a significant day for the Jewish community.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this appalling incident and we greatly appreciate the swift actions of the emergency services.’
‘Evil people trying to damage community’
Graham Stringer, a local MP, called for unity in Manchester, saying that “we have to make sure these evil people do not damage our community”.
“The area … is a very large Jewish community next to a very large Muslim community, and by and large community relations are excellent between all different ethnic groups and religious groups, but there are always extreme people who want to damage those relationships and want to, in this case, damage Jews and the Jewish community,” he told BBC Manchester.
Stringer, who is the MP for Blackley and Middleton South, said the relationship between the Jewish community and police was “very good”.
He added: “But the sad thing is, if you’ve got an evil, violent person with a car and a knife, it is very difficult to ensure that everybody is secure in that situation.”
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed two members of the public have died. The attacker is also believed to be dead.
The suspect’s condition cannot be confirmed because of safety issues surrounding suspicious items on his person. A bomb disposal unit is at the scene.
Three other members of the public remain in a serious condition.
Met stepping up patrols in Jewish communities
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has said the Metropolitan Police is deploying patrols in Jewish communities and synagogues across the capital.
He said: “I’m horrified by the violent attack at a synagogue in Manchester. I have been in contact with the mayor of Greater Manchester and the home secretary, and would like to reassure Londoners that the Met police are stepping up patrols in Jewish communities and synagogues across London.
“My thoughts are with all those affected on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. London stands ready to help in any way we can.”
‘He didn’t listen to police so they opened fire’
Gareth, who was driving his delivery van at the time of the incident, said he saw a traffic collision outside the synagogue.
When he got closer he saw a man, believed to be a synagogue security guard, “bleeding out on the floor”.
Gareth saw another man lying on the ground in front of the car that had been driven into a crowd outside the synagogue.
He then said he saw a man with a knife “stabbing the window” of the synagogue and trying to get inside.
“Within seconds, the police arrived. They gave him a couple of warnings. He didn’t listen so they opened fire,” the witness told BBC Manchester, saying the alleged offender slumped to the ground. Then the man “started getting back up and [the police] shot him again”.
Extra security at synagogues nationwide
Additional police officers are being sent to protect synagogues across the UK in the wake of the attack in Manchester, the prime minister has said.
An armed police officers with a member of the community near Heaton Park synagogue
PAUL CURRIE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Sir Keir Starmer said this morning’s attack was “absolutely shocking” as he left a summit of European leaders in Copenhagen early to chair an emergency Cobra meeting this afternoon.
Speaking from the runway in Copenhagen, he said additional police assets were being deployed to Synagogues across the country.
The prime minister at Copenhagen airport
PETER BYRNE/PA
“We will do everything to keep our Jewish community safe,” he said, adding that he had spoken to Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, and Mark Gardner, the chair of the Community Security Trust, the private security group that protects synagogues.
Fears attacker was carrying bomb
A bomb disposal unit has arrived at the Heaton Park synagogue, amid fears the attacker was carrying explosives.
A white lorry marked “Bomb Disposal” has arrived at the scene and gone behind the cordon outside the synagogue.
A bomb disposal robot outside the synagogue
PETER BYRNE/PA
‘Get back!’ Video captures police response
Video on social media showed two armed officers pointing guns at a man laying on the ground outside the synagogue.
The man filming can be heard saying, “They’ve killed him.”
The officers turn to bystanders and shout: “Move back, run away. Somebody stay with casualties. Everybody else, go away. Get back!”
A witness shouts to the officer: “He’s got a bomb on his f***ing jacket. He’s going to blow himself up. He’s trying to press the button.”
The man on the ground starts to get to his feet and is then shot by the officer. Near by, another man lies on the floor in a pool of blood.
Shadow home secretary condemns ‘evil’ behind attack
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said he was appalled “not only by this brutal attack, but also by the evil that lies behind it”.
He said: “This is an sickening attack on people at a synagogue on Middleton Road in Manchester — on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and the whole Jewish community here in the UK
“I know everyone will want to support the emergency services in their work.”
My Jewish constituents will be worried, says MP
Christian Wakeford, Labour MP for neighbouring Bury South, said people in his constituency, which also includes a large Jewish community, would be worried after this morning’s attack.
“For this to happen on Yom Kippur is horrendous, my thoughts and prayers are with those affected. I know how worried [the] Jewish community will be regarding this attack,” he said.
Christian Wakeford reacts as he stands in the street near Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue
PAUL CURRIE/AFP/ GETTY IMAGES
A member of the public is helped from the scene by emergency services
PETER BYRNE/PA
‘Marauding terrorist attack’
Greater Manchester Police designated the attack a Plato incident at 9.37am.
Plato, also called Operation Plato, notifies about 15 partner agencies of a “no-notice marauding terrorist attack”.
It is a set of operating procedures agreed by the Home Office and emergency services, which pulls in resources from counter-terror specialist firearms officers, the military, neighbouring police forces, ambulance workers and NHS trusts.
Once police make the declaration, it sets in train a response of sharing information among partner agencies’ emergency control rooms immediately.
In 2017 the Manchester Arena bombing was declared a Plato incident.
Tory leader condemns ‘vile’ attack
Kemi Badenoch described the Manchester synagogue attack as “vile and disgusting”.
When asked on the BBC about the incident, the Tory leader said it was “an outrageous attack on the Jewish community on their holiest day”.
Salford Royal, Fairfield General, Rochdale Infirmary and Royal Oldham hospitals are all “on lockdown” after the incident, the Manchester Evening News has reported.
‘Attacker shot by police as he tried to break in’
A witness said the alleged offender, who drove a car at people outside the synagogue and then stabbed a security guard, was trying to break into the synagogue when police arrived.
He was warned to step back before he was shot by police. He then tried to get up and was shot again by police, a witness told BBC Manchester.
Videos on social media show police officers outside the synagogue and a body on the ground.
Home secretary ‘horrified’
Shabana Mahmood has said she is “horrified” by news of the attack on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
The home secretary said she was being kept up to date by Greater Manchester Police and urged people to follow the advice of the emergency services.
She added: “My first thoughts are with the victims, our brave police and emergency services.”
Starmer to chair Cobra meeting
Sir Keir Starmer said he was “appalled” by the attack at the synagogue in Crumpsall, adding: “The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific.”
The prime minister is expected to chair a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee this afternoon.
He has been at the European Political Community gathering in Copenhagen and is expected to fly back early.
The synagogue incident was branded an “appalling attack on the holiest day of the Jewish year” by the Community Security Trust (CST).
The organisation, which monitors antisemitism in the UK, said: “CST is working with police and the local Jewish community following a serious incident at a synagogue in north Manchester.
“This appears to be an appalling attack on the holiest day of the Jewish year. We thank the GMP officers and synagogue security who responded immediately to deal with the incident.”
Police flood area around synagogue
RYAN JENKINSON/STORY PICTURE AGENCY
The area around the synagogue in Crumpsall, north of Manchester, has been swamped by dozens of police vehicles, as well as fire and ambulance crews, while the force helicopter hovers overhead.
Streets surrounding the synagogue have been cordoned off with more police cars and vans, sirens blaring, racing down neighbouring roads.
Police officers dressed in black combat fatigues and carrying machine guns could also be seen inside the cordon outside the synagogue.
‘No safe place for Jews in Britain’
A Jewish man, among a group of shocked onlookers at the cordon, said his wife and daughter and other members of the congregation were still inside the synagogue.
A number of black, unmarked police 4×4 vehicles and vans carrying plain clothes officers with face coverings were seen leaving the area of the incident at speed.
A Jewish man said: “It is the holiest day of the year and we get this. There is no [safe] place for Jews in Britain any more. It’s over.”
Greater Manchester Police declared the synagogue attack in Crumpsall a major incident or Plato, which is a response to a “marauding terrorist attack”.
Reach out to Jewish people, says mayor
Andy Burnham said he wanted people to feel safe after the synagogue attack in north Manchester.
The Greater Manchester mayor also asked people to reach out to Jewish people in the region to see if they were OK.
“We will deal with this incident the way people in Greater Manchester always do — in the right way,” he told BBC Manchester.
Police and the ambulance service confirmed that the offender who drove the car into crowds outside the synagogue had been shot, while four people were being treated for injuries from the car and stabbing.
Ambulances called to reports of stabbing
North West Ambulance Service said it was at the scene of a major incident in Crumpsall, north Manchester, after reports of a stabbing at a synagogue.
Emergency services at the scene
RYAN JENKINSON/STORY PICTURE AGENCY
A statement said: “Following reports of an incident on Middleton Road in Crumpsall, the trust has dispatched resources to the scene.
“We are currently assessing the situation and working with other members of the emergency services.
“Our priority is to ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible.”
Attack on holiest Jewish day
Dave Rich of the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that monitors antisemitism in the UK, said: “Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year.
“It’s a very solemn day and synagogues across the country will be full throughout the day.
“There’s always a significant security operation in place between police and CST across the Jewish community on all major Jewish festivals.”
In terms of importance in the religious year he said it was similar to Christmas Day for Christians, but was a day of solemnity and fasting rather than celebration.
Burnham: Suspect believed to be dead
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said the offender at the synagogue was believed to be dead.
He told BBC Manchester he would meet members of the Jewish community after the attack to reassure them.
Burnham said extra security at the synagogue had prevented more widespread injuries.
“It would seem some of the security used by our friends in the Jewish community has stopped this from becoming a worse situation,” he said.
Four injured in car and knife attack
Greater Manchester Police said: “Police were called to the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, on Middleton Road, Crumpsall, at 9.31am by a member of the public, stating he had witnessed a car being driven towards members of the public, and one man had been stabbed.
“GMP declared a major incident at 9.37am. Shots were fired by Greater Manchester Police firearms officers at 9.38am. One man has been shot, believed to be the offender.
“Paramedics arrived at the scene at 9.41 and are tending to members of the public, currently four members of the public with injuries caused by both the vehicle and stab wounds.
“Members of the public are asked to avoid the area while the police continue to deal with the incident.”