UK train stabbings carried out by lone attacker, not terrorism: Police

HUNTINGDON, England - A 32-year-old British man was the sole suspect accused of a mass stabbing on a train in England, after another man arrested in the case was released on Nov 2 with no charges.

British police said the knife attack on Nov 1 that put 11 people in hospital
was not a terrorist incident. A 35-year-old man who had been arrested earlier was released after officers concluded he was not involved in the attack.

As at late on Nov 2, five of the injured had been discharged from hospital. Among those still being treated was a member of the train crew who tried to stop the attacker and was in a life-threatening condition, police said.

“Detectives have reviewed the CCTV from the train, and it is clear his actions were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved many people’s lives,” they added.

Working to establish what happened before stabbings

Counterterrorism police had helped with the initial investigation after the mass stabbing on the train in eastern England, but police later said there was nothing to suggest that the incident was terrorism.

Work was now ongoing to establish the events leading up to the attack and the suspect’s background, police said. A knife had also been recovered from the scene.

“Our investigation is moving at pace and we are confident we are not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident,” Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said in a statement.

Police described the sole suspect as a black British national from Peterborough, 160km north of London, who had boarded the train there.

Armed police board train

The suspect was arrested by armed police after the train made an emergency stop at Huntingdon around 129km north of London.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it an “appalling incident” which was “deeply concerning”, while King Charles said he was “truly appalled and shocked”.

Knife crime in England and Wales has risen 87 per cent over the past decade, with 54,587 offences in 2024 alone – a 2 per cent rise from 2023 and among the highest rates in Europe, according to figures from Britain’s interior ministry.

Interior minister Shabana Mahmood said she was “deeply saddened”, while urging people to avoid speculation about the incident.

The government is keen to stop rumours spreading on social media following an incident in Southport in north-west England in 2024, when internet claims about the murder of three young girls sparked days of rioting across the country.

Blood on all the chairs

Witness Olly Foster told the BBC that he was on the train which was heading towards London on the evening of Nov 1 when someone ran past him saying a man was stabbing “everyone, everything”.

“I put my hand on this chair... and then I look at my hand, and it’s covered in blood. And then I look at the chair, and there’s blood all over the chair. And then I look ahead and there’s blood on all the chairs,” he said.

Another witness told Sky News that a suspect was seen waving a large knife before being tasered by police. REUTERS