New Zealand mosque terror shooting could happen in the UK carried out by neo-Nazis, security minister admits
After 50 people were killed last week, Ben Wallace said it was 'absolutely' possible that a horror attack from a far-right fanatic could happen right here too
A NEW Zealand-style terror attack at a mosque could happen right here in Britain carried out by neo-Nazis, the security minister admitted today.
Ben Wallace said today that it was "absolutely" possible that a far-right fanatic could storm into a Muslim place of worship in the UK.
It comes just days after 50 people were killed by an extremist in a horrific attack in Christchurch last week by white supremacist Brenton Tarrant.
Police stepped up protection at UK mosques after the rampage with more patrols and safety advice.
Mr Wallace said the Government was worried about a "growing" number of people in the UK driven by sick far-right thoughts.
"It absolutely could happen here," he stressed. "It's why the Government has been concerned about a group of people crossing into the extreme mindset on the far-right, and neo-Nazis."
Terrorists are looking to recruit from Brits who think it's OK to engage in violent extremism, he warned.
His comments come as the Muslim Council of Britain begged ministers for more resources to protect their mosques.
Spokesperson Miqdaad Versi told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There is a real worry that, given how open mosques are, people are able to enter mosques; the level of security at mosques is basically non-existent because it's an open place.
"There is a real concern that things might need to change."
He said that the Government wasn't properly engaging with the Council and other Muslim institutions.
Mr Wallace said if the threat level went up then more funding would be pumped into security.
Schools, universities and the media have a duty to challenge people's perceptions and views to make sure hard-line views are discussed, he added.
"All of us have a responsibility to confront that," he added.
A teenager appeared in court today accused of sharing the full sick live-stream of the massacre - and faced 14 years if he's found guilty.
Facebook, Twitter and Google scrambled to take down the video, which was widely available on social media for hours after the bloodbath.
Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with murder for the mosque shootings.
His only family have said the "twisted" maniac deserves the death penalty as they apologised to the victims of the tragedy.
Sunday saw a steady stream of mourners paying tribute at a makeshift memorial to those killed, while dozens of Muslims stood by to bury the dead when authorities finally release their loved ones' bodies.
Hundreds of flowers have been piled up amid candles, balloons and notes of grief and love outside the Al Noor mosque.
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