Whitechapel 'hammer' attack outside mosque being investigated as hate crime, police confirm

A physical attack with an hammer near a mosque in the Whitechapel district of London has been branded a "horrible hate crime assault" by police. 

Scotland Yard gave details of the assault with a hammer or similar blunt object on Saturday (16th May 2019) but could not confirm the exact motives behind the attack. 

However, after establishing three men in a car made "anti-Muslim" comments just before the attack, it has now been deemed a hate crime based on their motivations. 

The victim, described as a 27-year-old Asian man by the Met, suffered head injuries though these were not deemed serious. 

Scotland Yard's DCI Sean Channing said: "This was a horrible hate crime assault on a man going about his daily business.'' However, he said it was not believed that the mosque in the area itself had been a target.

Whilst there were initial Islamophobic comments made by this group towards the individual which are being treated seriously, I would like to make clear that at no point did the group approach any mosque or congregation in the area," he said. 

"There is no evidence to suggest that the mosque near the area was the intended target."

After the attack on Friday (15th May 2019) the trio of suspects returned to their car and fled the scene in Cannon Street Road shortly after 1pm.

Footage on social media showed the group shouting in the street with one man clinging to the car's bonnet as it drove away from the scene with its back window smashed. 

The suspects are all described as white men and aged in their 20s.

No arrests have been made at this time and police officers continue to investigate.