Five people stabbed by man with sword after crashing van into home

A sword-wielding man has been arrested after five people were stabbed in a terrifying attack near Hainault Tube station.

Witnesses have described the moment they saw a man armed with a huge sword walking from house to house after crashing his van into a building.

Footage shows police approaching him as he brandishes his weapon while one victim lays slumped on the floor.

Manpreet Singh, manager of Redbridge Radio Cars, was at work in the taxi firm’s office at Hainault Tube station when the attack began.

Mr Singh told Metro: ‘I saw about six or seven people going in and out of Franklyn Gardens and people coming up to the train station saying there was a guy with a machete.

‘It looked like there was one man who had stabbed someone and the other people in the street were bystanders on their way to work who had tried to fight him off.

‘A guy walked up the road who had been stabbed in his neck. He was saying “I’ve been stabbed, I’ve been stabbed” and walking towards the police.’

He continued: ‘Because of the size of the weapon it looked like they tried to intervene but not been able to fight him off.

‘When we came out the police cars were there and the guy came running from Franklyn Gardens towards Thurlow Gardens. He tried to get into a house but there was a dog there.

‘He tried to get into another house but the police got him under control by tasering him.’

A witness who lives by the station also told Metro: ‘Basically, I woke up this morning to a crash and it was a van that had driven straight into the side of the house opposite me.

‘I then heard a load of screaming and it turns out a fella who had gone to see if the bloke was okay got stabbed in the neck by the driver.

‘He then walked back down the road whilst people ran and screamed as he was waving his samurai sword threatening civilians, he walked past my house up another road where it appears the police cornered him and caught him.’

Another witness said he heard shrieking at about 7am before witnessing a man dressed in yellow jumping over some fences.

He said: ‘I heard shouting, I heard shrieking – I thought “who would be shrieking at this time in the morning?”

‘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.’

There appeared to be a stand-off between police and the suspect in an alleyway.

A witness, who asked not to be named, said: ‘He disappeared down an alley and then he was out of sight.

‘The police went into the alley and there seemed to be some sort of a stand-off there where I heard this huge commotion, then I heard a scream.

‘From that commotion at least one person was knifed – I think it might have been a woman because I heard a woman scream and then some sort of sobbing sounds.

‘I then heard a voice say something like “she’s been stabbed in the face” or “we need assistance” – you know, calling for medical back-up.’

Daniel Garfinkle, who lives outside the station, told MailOnline: ‘I woke up at 7am to lots of shouting. There was a guy outside covered in blood, near the station and outside my home.

‘Police were trying to calm down the man who carried out the stabbing. But he went towards the station. He kept shouting.’

Another local said: ‘There was at least one man lying in a pool of blood.

‘It was horrific. There were these terrible screams I woke to. Piercing screams.

‘People said it was with a machete.’

The Metropolitan Police said: ‘Police and other emergency services are in Hainault, east London, at a serious incident in which a man with a sword has been arrested.

‘We were called shortly before 7am to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house in the Thurlow Gardens area. There were reports people have 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.’

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called at 6.54am this morning (Tuesday) to reports of an incident near Hainault Underground Station.

‘We sent resources to the scene including ambulance crews, clinicians in response cars, advanced paramedics and London’s air ambulance.

‘At this time we understand members of the public and two police officers had been attacked.

‘Working together with our emergency services partners, we treated five people on the scene and took all five to hospital.’

The Metropolitan Police said officers are not looking for more suspects and the attack ‘does not appear to be terror related’.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: ‘This must have been a terrifying incident for those concerned.

‘I know the wider community will be feeling shock and alarm.

‘People will want to know what has happened and will we provide more information as soon as we can.’

The station can be seen surrounded by emergency services, including a police helicopter.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was ‘absolutely devastated’ by the attack in Hainault and thanked the emergency services for ‘running towards danger’.

He said: ‘I remain in constant contact with the Commissioner. A man has been arrested and the area secured.

‘The police are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident. There will be additional reassurance patrols in the area.

‘The police officers and emergency services showed the best of our city – running towards danger to protect others and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.’

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the Hainault stabbings were ‘shocking’.

Speaking at the Society of Editors conference in central London, he said: ‘I’d like to give my thanks to the emergency teams that are responding and to pay tribute to their bravery.’

TfL said: ‘This station is closed due to a police investigation in the area.’

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: ‘Firefighters were mobilised to assist police and London Ambulance Service colleagues at an incident near Hainault Underground Station.

‘Crews supported London Ambulance Service crews in the provision of immediate emergency care.

‘The Brigade was called at 0735 and the incident was over for firefighters by 0924. Fire crews from Dagenham, Walthamstow, Ilford, Romford, Hainault, East Ham and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.’

Knife crime offences in London recorded by the Metropolitan Police rose year on year in the latest figures, but have not yet returned to levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some 14,577 offences were recorded in the 12 months to December 2023, Home Office data shows.

This is up 20% from 12,119 in the previous 12 months, but is slightly below the 14,680 in the year to March 2020.

Of the 49,489 knife crime offences recorded in England and Wales in 2023, 29% were by the Metropolitan Police, a higher proportion than any other force.

Earlier this month,  46-year-old Okechukwu Iweha was stabbed to death near Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London.

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