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| Death scene at Albaraka Mosque |
On 4 July 2025, Adam Rae Ursell, a 38-year-old actor, choreographer, and movement artist from South-East London, plunged from the roof of Albaraka Mosque in Lewisham. Despite the desperate efforts of ambulance crews, paramedics, and London’s Air Ambulance, he died at the scene. And since that day, a veil of silence has been drawn around the tragedy. TheBigRetort...
Silence at the Scene
It was a fine, sunny Friday afternoon when a body hit the pavement on a busy Lewisham Way. Despite the heavy police presence and paramedics battling to resuscitate the victim, it was all to no avail.
Police officers at the scene discouraged filming of the tragedy — and bodycams, which are usually on by default, were not recording.
In the hours and days that followed, no media reported the death. The
silence was almost total, as if a D-notice had been imposed.
The Metropolitan Police responded to The Big Retort:
“For clarity, we proactively announce murders
so it was not an incident of this nature. We have located an incident. As this
is not a criminal matter, we can’t comment.”
The London Ambulance Service:
“We were called at 2.31pm on 4 July to reports
of a person who had fallen from height in Lewisham Way, SE14. Despite the best
efforts of our teams to save his life, a man sadly died at the scene.”
But was that the whole story?
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| Albaraka Friday rooftop prayers |
A prophecy foretold
Council records obtained through Freedom of
Information show concerns about the building were raised as far back as 2017:
·
The property, originally a domestic dwelling,
had been converted into a mosque — apparently without the council’s knowledge.
·
Attendance was reported at “over 200” people,
with one inflated estimate of 500.
·
A council fire safety officer warned that
overcrowding was putting the structure “at risk of collapse.”
Most alarming were warnings about the roof. Officials noted that the “flat roof is also used on these occasions” and that “children were also climbing the ledge to look down onto the road below.”
There
were no railing around the roof.
In August 2018, the same informant wrote
bluntly to the council:
“It has been a while since my last email re:
overcrowded mosque and the use of the roof… This is an accident waiting to
happen. Your action might save this.”
Enforcement stalled
Lewisham Council attempted an inspection. Access was restricted by the mosque committee to narrow time slots — none of
which included Friday, the main day of worship, when the roof was reportedly in
use. The very day, and time, of Adam’s death.
On 30 July 2018, the council issued a Planning Contravention Notice, ordering
the use of the mosque to cease by 17 December 2018.
And then — silence.
No further enforcement. No explanation in the
council’s files. Nothing.
Seven years later, the very scenario repeatedly warned of by council officers tragically came to pass.
The Albaraka Committee responded:
“While we deeply value transparency and
community dialogue, we must also respect the wishes and privacy of the grieving
family and the broader community impacted by this loss. For this reason, we are
unable to share specific details regarding the incident… What we can assure you
is that the matter has been fully handled by the appropriate authorities.”
The committee failed to name the victim.
Disturbing footage of resuscitation attempts have since circulated online. Police at the scene were filmed asking a man to stop recording out of respect. He replied that he was “media.”
Callous though he appears, perhaps he alone documented what
officers — with their own cameras switched off — chose not to.
In the days following the tragedy, new metal fencing was erected around the
roof.
In the aftermath of Adam Rae Ursell’s death, vital questions remain unanswered:
-
Council enforcement: Why did Lewisham Council fail to act on its own 2018 Planning Contravention Notice?
-
Safety warnings: Why were repeated alerts about roof use and overcrowding not followed up?
-
Police conduct: Why were officers’ bodycams not recording at the scene of such a serious incident?
-
Public transparency: Why was the victim’s name withheld for so long, despite confirmation of his death from the London Ambulance Service?
An inquest is scheduled for late 2026. It may establish how Mr Ursell died. But only then will we begin to learn whether years of warnings were ignored — and why.
Until those answers are given, one fact remains clear: the tragedy on Lewisham Way has left a community searching for accountability.
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