Hundreds of people were evacuated from one of London’s biggest mosques after a bomb scare.

Police alerted the East London Mosque to intelligence suggesting a possible explosive device within the mosque or the neighbouring London Muslim Centre just before midday prayers yesterday.

Today police said they cordoned off the area and deployed a search unit but did not find anything.

The bomb scare comes just days after a siege by Islamists in a shopping mall in Kenya that left scores dead, including at least six Britons.

A statement by the mosque said: “At approximately 12.00pm today (Wednesday) the East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre management was contacted by police, alerting us to a possible bomb threat.

“The entire complex was evacuated safely, while mosque staff assisted police in checking for any suspicious packages.

“We remain vigilant in the face of such threats.”