A heroic barber fought off a woman following a stabbing incident in London's Covent Garden. Four men were hospitalised after the attack in the busy tourist area.
Arrest and injuries
A 47-year-old woman is being held in custody following what police have characterised as an "isolated, mental health" attack. She was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon, thought to be a pair of scissors, and assault.
Two men remain in hospital being treated for injuries described as "neither life-threatening nor life changing". The other two men have been discharged.
Witness accounts
A barber operating nearby told The Sun he tackled the attacker after one of the injured victims came into his premises, saying they had been stabbed. The barber said: "We all came rushing out of our shops to help. I ran towards her down the street and she stopped and looked at me holding the scissors. She had a weird look in her eyes. It was like she was possessed almost. But I still ran towards her and held her back. I was holding the woman back to stop her from attacking more people."
Another witness told the publication that officers disarmed the woman while she was using a vape. Previously, Arjan Gjorga, who runs a fish and chip shop in Endell Street, said the victims were "random people who were just walking by". Mr Gjorga, 48, told the Press Association: "She just started stabbing random people. I didn't see any scissors, but I heard it was with small scissors. We saw this lady after a few minutes being arrested – the police responded immediately."
Another witness characterised the arrested woman as homeless, noting she was a recognisable figure around Endell Street and nearby areas.
Police response
Matt Bishop, 42, who is employed at a consultancy firm adjacent to the cordon in Covent Garden, recounted seeing a woman in a "stand-off" with three officers while wielding a weapon. He explained: "I didn't see the stabbing. I saw her running down the road towards the crossroads. She looked quite old, short hair. There was a bit of a stand-off with three police officers. She didn't seem to be particularly coherent. She was pretty incoherent in what she was shouting, the officer was asking what language she was shouting."
Another witness reported that the attack occurred outside the Shaftesbury Theatre, with the woman subsequently fleeing towards Endell Street. The witness, who requested anonymity, stated: "We noticed she stabbed three people with scissors by the theatre, then she came down here and the police were here."
A representative from St Mungo's homeless charity, which has operations in the Endell Street vicinity, commented: "Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this distressing incident. We are working closely with emergency services to ensure that all of the people we support, in addition to our colleagues, are safe and accounted for."
Investigation and cordon
A significant police cordon was put in place, extending from High Holborn to the St Mungo's homeless centre on Endell Street, where officers were conducting conversations with people before they entered the premises. An air ambulance landed in a busy Trafalgar Square, though the London Ambulance Service, which was alerted at 12.29pm, later confirmed it had "treated four patients at the scene and took them all to a major trauma centre as a priority by road".
Restaurants located near the cordon towards Long Acre remained open for business as usual. Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart, responsible for policing in the district, said: "Officers responded within minutes of this incident after receiving a number of reports. While still at an early stage of the investigation, we would like to reassure the community that we currently believe this to be an isolated, mental-health related incident."
The four injured men were aged 34, 39, 42 and 52.
