Hainault: Police to give update after five people injured and man with sword arrested after east London attack – latest updates

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The Metropolitan police are due to give an update on the Hainault attack in about five minutes. We will have a stream of the press conference at the top of the blog.

The PA news agency has looked at the change in the number of knife crime offences recorded in the capital over recent years, and compared this to other police forces in England.

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.

An estimated 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.

West Midlands police were second, accounting for 11% of the total (5,324 offences), and West Yorkshire police were third on 5% (2,349).

When looking at the number of offences per population, West Midlands police had the highest rate in 2023, with 180 per 100,000 people, followed by the Metropolitan police (165 per 100,000), then Cleveland police (143 per 100,000) and South Yorkshire police (110 per 100,000).

The Met was one of 23 forces in England and Wales to record a year-on-year increase in knife crime offences in 2023, with 17 recording a decrease and one reporting no change …

The figures do not include Greater Manchester police or the Devon & Cornwall force, due to data issues.

The X account of the Metropolitan Police Federation – which represents rank-and-file officers in Britain’s largest force – posted this about the Hainault incident earlier today:

Five people are in hospital and two police officers are said to be among those attacked.

The Metropolitan police’s press conference has been pushed back half an hour to 12:30.

The Metropolitan police’s statement will be read out by Ch Supt Stuart Bell, who leads policing in the area where the attack took place in Hainault, east London.

Met police to hold press conference on Hainault attack

The Metropolitan police are going to give an update on the Hainault attack at a press conference at midday. We will give you all the latest as it comes in.

Teenager among five people injured in Hainault attack - Guardian understands

As we reported earlier, the London ambulance service said five people had been taken to hospital after the attack in Hainault this morning. The Guardian understands that one was a teenager.

Details were not available about how seriously they had been injured.

Hainault Church, located in Franklyn Gardens, nearby the scene, has issued a statement on Facebook.

Its statement, signed off by Reverend Keith John, read:

We are deeply saddened to hear the news of this morning’s critical incident here in Hainault. We pray for those who have been injured, and for their families.

We are grateful to all the first responders who are dealing with the situation with such professionalism.

And, despite this morning’s tragic incident, we celebrate this friendly, multicultural and vibrant community and we pray for all who live here.

A witness to the incident said he heard shrieking before seeing a man dressed in yellow jumping over some fences at about 7am.

The witness said: “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. It was like ‘stop where you are, put that down, put that down’ – that kind of thing.

“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 coppers with the short-sleeved shirts – who chased after him and they were shouting for him to put it down.”

Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate for London mayor, has said the attack in Hainault is “deeply concerning”.

Police investigating whether Hainault attack suspect had 'history of mental ill-health'

The Guardian’s crime correspondent, Vikram Dodd, understands that police were investigating whether the suspect in the Hainault attack had a history of mental ill-health, and that at this early stage, that was a key line of inquiry as to any motive.

The Metropolitan police have only officially confirmed that a 36-year-old man is in custody and that the incident is not thought to be terror-related.

Here are some more images coming from Hainault:

Sky News’ home correspondent Rachael Venables has been reporting from the scene in Hainault and has described a local community traumatised by the attack this morning.

“It’s a really traumatising moment for the local people,” Venables said.

“You can see people stood outside their doors filming the local area as well, speaking, really seeking reassurance while on their own local WhatsApp groups.

“And they speak to neighbours and friends and family trying to work out what happened this morning and whether anyone they know was affected and even injured in this awful attack.”

Here is footage of the alleged attacker in Hainault this morning:

Rishi Sunak 'shocked' by Hainault attack

The UK’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has described the attack in Hainault as “shocking” and said that “such violence has no place on our streets”.

The ambulance service said five people have been taken to hospital. Two police officers were reported to be among those who were attacked.

What we know so far...

A man with a sword has been arrested after an attack on members of the public and police officers in Hainault, east London, police have said.

Five people were taken to hospital after the incident, London ambulance service said.

The Metropolitan police said officers were initially called to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house in Thurlow Gardens.

The force said there were reports of people being stabbed during the incident and the suspect is understood to have gone on to attack other members of the public and two police officers.

A 36-year-old man was arrested at the scene and is in custody, police said.

The Met said it is not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident and it is not believed to be terror-related.

A picture of the alleged attacker has been circulating on social media.

Hainault underground station is closed due to a police investigation in the area, Transport for London said.

London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, said he was “absolutely devastated” at hearing of the incident and was in close contact with the Met police commissioner.

Here is a blurred picture of the alleged attacker in Hainault this morning:

Five people taken to hospital after Hainault attack, ambulance service says

Five people have been taken to hospital after the attack in Hainault, London ambulance service (LAS) has said.

An LAS spokesperson said in a statement:

We were called at 6.54am this morning 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. All crews have now left the scene.

A 36-year-old man is in custody and police say the incident is not thought to be terrorism-related.

Police say the incident early this morning began in the Thurlow Gardens area, near Hainault station in east London.