Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said the force is “doubling down” on efforts to protect communities from hate crimes, as he visited a south London mosque at the centre of an alleged terror plot.
Earlier this week, a 14-year-old boy was charged with preparing acts of terrorism aimed at two mosques in Sutton.
Sir Mark met representatives of the Sutton Central Mosque following Friday prayers to reassure worshippers and show “determination in fighting hate crime”.
He told the BBC this was among a number of similar plots the Met Police had recently foiled and that the force had its “work cut out” amid current terror threats against “many different communities”.
The boy accused of plotting an attack was allegedly planning to target the two mosques on 28 August.
The child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is also charged with racially aggravated damage to property.
He denied the charges at Westminster Magistrates’ court on Thursday and will appear at the Old Bailey in August.
During his visit to the mosque, Sir Mark said: “It’s important for me to be here today in Sutton with the Muslim community, partly showing our determination in fighting hate crime and protecting them and partly to hear their reflections and look at what more we can do.”
He said that since the alleged plot had been foiled, police patrols had been deployed to protect worshippers.
“They’re seeing at the moment increased presence around mosques here and elsewhere, just like we’ve done recently for Jewish [people] in other communities.
“And we’ll keep doubling down on this because it matters.”
