On Tuesday, a 36-year-old man attacked passers-by in Hainault in east London, leaving several people injured.
In a press release, the police said they were called “shortly before 7 a.m.” to this area of London, 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 are awaiting information on the condition of the injured people,” police said. “We do not believe that the threat persists” in the neighborhood and “we are not looking for other suspects,” said Ade Adelekan, a police official cited in the press release. “This incident does not appear to be linked to terrorism,” he added. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was “absolutely devastated” by the attack. “The area has been secured … and additional reassurance patrols will be carried out in the area.” Knife and sword attacks are on the rise in the United Kingdom and are widely publicized. According to official figures, they increased by 7% last year to almost 50,000 in England and Wales.
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In London, they soared by 20% with 14,577 attacks recorded, returning more or less to their level before the Covid-19 pandemic. Last week Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak denounced the security policy of the Mayor of London, while local elections are due to be held on Thursday.