A 36-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday morning in Hainault in east London after attacking passers-by with a sword, leaving at least five people injured, in an incident which police said “does not appear to be linked to terrorism”. In a statement, the police said they were called “shortly before 7:00 a.m.” (8 a.m. GMT) near a metro station, with witnesses saying that “people had been stabbed.”
“A man with a sword was arrested,” she added, specifying that according to testimonies collected on site the suspect attacked passers-by “and two police officers”. “We do not believe that the threat persists” in the neighborhood and “we are not looking for other suspects.”
Five people were taken to hospital after the attack, according to the London Ambulance Service. The severity of their injuries is still unknown. In a message posted on X, rescuers indicate that they were called shortly before 7 a.m. for an incident near the Hainault metro station. “Our teams have now left the scene.”
A “guy dressed in yellow”
According to the PA news agency, relayed by the BBC, a witness heard screams around 7 a.m. (8 a.m. GMT). “I wondered who could be screaming at this hour. The screams sounded like the police – you know, when they order someone to stop or get on their knees.” Through the window, he said he saw a “guy dressed in yellow jumping over barriers”, two police officers chasing him.
Images posted on social media and picked up by British media show a slightly bearded white man, dressed in black pants and a yellow hoodie, sword in hand, walking erratically in front of houses, while cars police surround the scene.