Morden mosque fire: two boys arrested on suspicion of arson after huge blaze at Baitul Futuh mosque

Tragedy: smoke pours from the Baitul Futuh mosque
PA
Rachel Blundy30 September 2015
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Two boys have been arrested on suspicion of arson after a huge fire at Britain's largest mosque.

The pair - a 16-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy - were today being held for questioning over the blaze at Baitul Futuh mosque yesterday.

Firefighters were still working at the scene in London Road, Morden today. Ten crews managed to contain the flames to the mosque's administration buildings.

In a statement, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "Police were called at 12.18pm on September 26 to reports of a fire at an ancillary building adjacent to a mosque on London Road, Morden.

"Today a 16-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of arson.

"Both remain in custody at a south London police station."

The mosque was built for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community to provide people with a meeting place and somewhere to hold social religious events.

It was built on the site of the old Express Dairies in 1999. The building bears the motto "Love for all, hatred for none".

Today the mosque's owners praised the "dedication and bravery" of firefighters who contained the blaze to its administration buildings.

In a statement, they said: " The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is extremely grateful for the efforts of the emergency services and in particular to the London Fire Brigade for their dedicated and brave service. May God Almighty reward them."

Fire crews were expected to remain at the scene until tomorrow. A full investigation has been launched, the London Fire Brigade said.

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