Four men were stabbed in Covent Garden, in central London, and a woman has been arrested, according to Sky News. The broadcaster reported that the incident happened in the last couple of hours before the coverage, at around half past twelve. As the news emerged, police moved to secure the location and began gathering information, while paramedics attended to the people who had been injured in the attack.
Sky News set out the initial sequence of events as reported by the authorities. According to the broadcaster, police were called to a report of a stabbing on Endell Street, where the victims were found with stab wounds. They were assessed at the scene by paramedics and taken to a major trauma centre, where doctors would work to establish the extent of their injuries and feed that information back to police.
The response to the incident involved a significant deployment of medical teams. In a statement quoted by Sky News, London's Air Ambulance said it had sent an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast-response car and an incident response officer, and had also dispatched the air ambulance. The service confirmed that four patients were treated at the scene of the attack in Covent Garden.
One arrest was made in connection with the stabbing, according to the broadcaster. Sky News reported that a woman, understood to be 47 years old, had been arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault. She was taken into custody and, at the time of the reporting, remained there while the investigation continued.
Details also emerged about what police had recovered and how the incident was being characterised. Sky News reported that officers recovered a pair of scissors at the scene. Citing the Press Association, the broadcaster said it was understood the stabbing was a mental health-related incident, though it stressed that this had not been confirmed and that the reporting at this stage was preliminary.
As is standard in such cases, police worked to secure the area and search for anything connected to the attack. According to Sky News, officers were cordoning off the location and, because multiple victims were involved, were also looking for any potential weapon. The extent of the injuries suffered by the four men had not yet been established, with the victims being taken to hospital for treatment.
The authorities appealed for public assistance as they continued their inquiries. Sky News reported that police were asking anyone with any information to come forward, while officers awaited an update on the condition of those who had been hurt. Beyond the details already released, the broadcaster said no further information had been provided about the incident in Covent Garden.