Thousands attend mosque for Eid celebrations

Thousands of Muslims have attended one of the largest mosques in the Thames Valley to celebrate Eid.

The Jamia Masjid and Islamic Centre (JMIC) in Slough, which can accommodate 2,000 worshippers at a time, expects about 10,000 people could attend by the end of Friday.

The festival marks the ends a month of fasting for Ramadan and is a time of togetherness, celebration and community for Muslims worldwide.

Shaista Khan, a trustee at the JMIC, said its preparations had taken weeks.

"It takes a good month to prepare because we have Ramadan before Eid. Our main work is crowd control and people coming in, ensuring we have volunteers who are trained, ensuring spaces are clean," she said.

Eid al-Fitr, which means "the festival of the breaking of the fast", begins when a new moon is sighted in the evening sky.

The celebration is a time of reflection and unity, where families and friends get together to share meals and exchange gifts.