After attacking two civilians and two police officers on Tuesday (30th April), a 36-year-old man brandishing a sword was arrested in Hainault, in the northeast region of London. The police do not see the incident as a terror attack. The Metropolitan Police was alerted at around 7 am.
🚨BREAKING
— Paul Golding (@GoldingBF) April 30, 2024
Video of the attacker in Hainault this morning. He allegedly waited outside houses and attacked random residents. pic.twitter.com/VmaNvU1VOZ
The sword-wielding accused man smashed a vehicle into a house in Thurlow Gardens, before stabbing several people. Following the incident, the Hainault Tube station in Ilford has been closed by the police. The police have not disclosed the identity of the attacker yet.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: Police and emergency services are in Hainault at a serious incident in which a man with a sword has been arrested. We were called shortly before 07:00hrs to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house in the Thurlow Gardens area. There were reports people had been stabbed. At this time we understand the suspect went on to attack other members of the public and two police officers. We are awaiting an update on the condition of those injured. A 36-year-old man was arrested at the scene and he is in custody.”
Police and emergency services are in Hainault at a serious incident in which a man with a sword has been arrested.
— Redbridge MPS (@MPSRedbridge) April 30, 2024
Read and share our latest update below.
We do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the wider community – this incident does not appear to be terror-related. pic.twitter.com/M2ljxeBu32
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: “This must have been a terrifying incident for those concerned. I know the wider community will be feeling shocked and alarmed. People will want to know what has happened and will we provide more information as soon as we can. We do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the wider community. We are not looking for more suspects. This incident does not appear to be terror-related.”
Several ambulances, along with fire and rescue personnel, were also dispatched to the spot Five injured people were treated at the site by London Ambulance Service, and all five were taken to a hospital.
According to a witness to the Hainault incident, at approximately 7:00 BST, he heard screaming and then saw a man in a yellow sweatshirt jump over some fences. “I heard shouting, I heard shrieking…I thought ‘who would be shrieking at this time in the morning? The shrieking sounded like the police – you know when they are ordering someone to stop or to get on their knees or something…it was like that,” the witness said.
“I looked out the back window because the noise was coming from back there, I saw a bloke dressed in yellow jumping over some fences…then he went down an alley like he was going back onto the street again. I saw a policeman and policewoman…normal cops with the short-sleeved shirts… who chased after him and they were shouting for him to put it down,” he added.
A picture of a large grey van with damage on the right side of its bumper has emerged from the attack site. The doors at the back of the vehicle are also open.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the attack “shocking” and said that there is no place for such violence on the streets of Britain.
This is a shocking incident. My thoughts are with those affected and their families.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 30, 2024
I'd like to thank the emergency services for their ongoing response, and pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery shown by police on the scene.
Such violence has no place on our streets. https://t.co/ekaNY9PY7g
“This is a shocking incident. My thoughts are with those affected and their families. I’d like to thank the emergency services for their ongoing response, and pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery shown by police on the scene. Such violence has no place on our streets,” PM Sunak posted.
Notably, there has been a significant surge in street crimes in London in recent times. Just last month, former England cricket captain Kevin Pietersen took to X to voice his concerns about the staggering rate at which street crimes in London are rising. Resharing a post by @CrimeLdn, which had posted a video of a recent knife attack on a train in London, the cricketer labelled London as “a disgrace of a place”.
As reported earlier, the Met Police data showed that London saw a 32% increase in crime in the year ending in April compared to the same period in 2022 with theft being the most common offence. Data shows that throughout the same period, stealing increased by 66% and robbery by 34%. In comparison to 2021, knife crime increased by 25% in 2022 and 12% from March to April of 2023, the data revealed.
