The Home Office in Westminster was on lockdown on Thursday afternoon after a man in his 60s was stabbed outside the building.
Specialist firearms officers were called to Marsham Street at around 1pm amid reports of a man with a knife. Images shared online appeared to show a heavily bloodied man wearing a suit jacket being helped away from the scene by a paramedic and an armed officer.
The victim’s injuries have been described as neither life-threatening nor life-changing by the Met Police. A 29-year-old man was arrested near the scene at Smith Square on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and possession of CS spray, and taken to a central
London police station.
A police spokeswoman said it was too early to say whether the incident was linked to the Home Office, but there was no suggestion it was terrorism-related.
In a statement, the Met said: “Inquiries are ongoing into the exact circumstances of the incident. We are keeping an open mind about any possible motive at this early stage.”
Eyewitness Guy Ellis, 54, described seeing a man remove a “long” knife from his bag before the incident.
“I was sat outside the Home Office waiting for a friend to meet for lunch and on the other side of the entrance I just saw a bloke take a knife out of his bag, and just wander up the path, stop in front of two girls who were just sat there having a chat, and then he wandered back and turned round and crossed the road very calmly and merged into the crowd.”
He said the knife was “long and thin” and “pointy”.
Another eyewitness Gareth Milner said he was eating his lunch on the wall outside the Home Office when “a number of armed police officers arrived on scene and entered the building”.We can confirm our crews responded to the Marsham Street, Westminster incident alongside @metpoliceuk. We treated a man at the scene and took him to a major trauma centre. https://t.co/XtWpxPCQL9— London Ambulance Service (@Ldn_Ambulance) August 15, 2019“Some time later a gentleman with quite a bloodied face and with dressing pressed into his face was escorted out of the Home Office by paramedics,” said Milner, who works nearby for the Centre for Policy Studies think-tank.
“He was quiet and walking on his own feet, not being physically supported,” he added.
An office worker opposite the Home Office, who asked to remain anonymous, described seeing a man – thought to be the perpetrator – walk calmly down the road after the incident.
She told PA: “He was standing over there outside the Home Office and then he was putting something away in his bag, but I didn’t see a knife or anything.“He was putting something away and then he just calmly just walked off down the road as if nothing had happened.
“Then people were being asked to go into the Home Office, they were being ushered in.”
A police cordon remains in place around the buildings.
A spokeswoman for the Home Office said: “The Metropolitan Police is investigating a knife attack which took place outside the Home Office this afternoon.
“The victim is receiving medical care. This is a deeply concerning incident and our thoughts are with him and his family.
“As this is an ongoing investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”Related... Seven Teenagers Arrested After Man Stabbed To Death With A Screwdriver Outside Greggs Thousands Of Chicken Shop Boxes Are Being Used In The Fight Against Knife Crime Three
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