LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer voiced “concern” on Wedn­e­sday after Manchester police arrested a man suspected of carrying weapons into a mosque, months after a deadly synagogue attack shook the city.

“I am concerned to hear of the incident at Manch­ester Central Mosque last night,” Starmer said on social media, adding “this will be worrying for Mus­lim communities, especially during Ramazan”.

“We will not and must not relent in the fight against anti-Muslim hatred,” the prime minister told MPs later.

Police in Manchester, northwest England, said they responded to reports on Tuesday night of two men entering Manchester Central Mosque carrying “offensive weapons while people were worshipping during the holy month”.

Officers arrested one man in his 40s on suspicion of carrying an offensive weapon and possession of drugs.

“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,” Manchester police assistant chief constable John Webster said. Police said they were trying to identify the second man.

“At this time, it is not clear what the circumstances or intent, if any, was around this incident,” Webster said, adding that patrols around mosques had been increased.

In a statement on social media, Manchester Central Mosque said: “The Muslim community in the UK has experienced a notable rise in threats and hostility over recent years.” Two Jewish people were killed last year in an extremist attack at a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest days of the year for the community.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2026