A chaotic morning at Heathrow Airport saw 21 people injured, including a young child, after a substance believed to be pepper spray was discharged in a Terminal 3 car park. The Metropolitan Police confirmed a 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault following the incident, which sent five victims to hospital.
Witness Account: 'I Felt a Burning at the Back of My Throat'
One witness, Tom Bate, found himself caught in the middle of the alarming event. He had been waiting to be picked up from the multi-storey car park when he observed "young men dressed in black darting through the crowd." Shortly after they passed, he and others nearby began to experience distressing symptoms.
"As soon as they left people started coughing, and then I started to cough," Bate told the BBC. "I felt a burning at the back of my throat." He described the scene as intense, initially fearing it was a terrorist attack, but expressed relief upon learning it was an isolated criminal incident.
Another passenger, Fin Fraser, who had just flown in from the US, described a "surreal" atmosphere with armed police checking vehicles. "It felt like I was in a James Bond movie," he said.
Police Investigation Reveals Robbery Motive
According to Commander Peter Stevens of the Metropolitan Police, the incident began as a robbery. A woman was reportedly robbed of her suitcase by a group of four men inside a car park lift. It is alleged that one of them then sprayed the pepper spray substance in her direction, affecting everyone in the lift and the immediate vicinity.
Police were called to the scene at 8.11am on Saturday, 7 December 2025. The London Ambulance Service treated 21 patients at the airport. While five required hospital treatment, their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing. Commander Stevens confirmed that a three-year-old girl was among those treated at the scene.
"We do believe this to be an isolated incident with those directly involved known to each other," Stevens stated, seeking to reassure the public.
Travel Disruption and Official Response
The incident caused significant disruption at one of the world's busiest airports. By midday, dozens of passengers faced long waits for shuttle buses, with one family reporting a three-hour delay. Heathrow staff distributed bottled water to those affected.
Overcrowding also extended to the Heathrow Terminal 2/3 Elizabeth Line station, where passengers queued for lengthy periods to exit. The airport advised travellers to allow extra time for their journeys and to check with their airlines for updates.
Policing minister Sarah Jones thanked the emergency services for their rapid response, saying: "My thoughts are with all those affected by the incident at Heathrow this morning." The investigation remains ongoing, and police are urging anyone with information to call 101, quoting reference CAD 1803 7 DEC.
