Travellers arriving at London's Heathrow Airport faced severe disruption and frightening scenes on Sunday morning after a group of men allegedly assaulted multiple people with a form of pepper spray.
Chaos and Congestion at Terminal 3
Armed police officers were called to the multi-storey car park at Terminal 3 at 8.11am on 7 December following reports of an assault. The Metropolitan Police confirmed they found a number of individuals who had been sprayed with a substance believed to be a type of pepper spray.
The London Ambulance Service treated 21 patients at the scene, with five requiring further hospital treatment. Authorities have stated the injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.
Passengers Stranded for Hours
The immediate aftermath of the incident caused significant travel chaos. The Central Terminal Area tunnel was closed for safety reasons, leading to severe road congestion that impacted shuttle bus services for hours.
Dozens of passengers were left waiting at bus stops, with one unnamed family reporting a three-hour wait after their flight landed around 8am. Heathrow staff were seen handing out bottled water to stranded travellers in the afternoon.
Witness Tom Bate described the alarming moment to the BBC, saying he saw "young men dressed in black darting through the crowd" before feeling a burning sensation in his throat. Others nearby began coughing uncontrollably.
Rail services at the Heathrow Terminal 2/3 station also experienced major overcrowding and long queues as a knock-on effect of the incident.
Police Investigation and Reassurance
Police have arrested one man in connection with the alleged assault, and he remains in custody. Officers continue to search for other suspects involved.
Commander Peter Stevens moved to reassure the public, stating: "At this stage, we believe the incident involved a group of people known to each other, with an argument escalating and resulting in a number of people being injured."
He emphasised that the Met is not treating the event as terrorism, a point echoed by witness Tom Bate who expressed relief upon hearing that news. An increased police presence was maintained at the airport throughout the morning to continue inquiries and ensure public safety.
Policing minister Sarah Jones thanked the emergency services for their rapid response and confirmed she is being regularly updated on the investigation.
A Heathrow spokesperson later said: "The shuttle buses to the long-stay car park were impacted by congestion on the roads following an earlier incident... The buses are now operating as normal and we apologise for any inconvenience caused."
The Metropolitan Police ask anyone with information to call 101, quoting reference CAD 1803 7 DEC.
