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- Ten people are in hospital, with nine believed to have life-threatening injuries, after a stabbing attack on a train travelling in Cambridgeshire
- Two people have been arrested, Cambridgeshire Police say – pictures show officers responding to the scene at Huntingdon station
- Police declare a “major incident” and confirm that counter-terrorism officers will support the investigation
- Passengers were travelling on the 18:25 service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross when the attack happened
- An eyewitness tells the BBC they saw a man bolting down the carriage with a bloody arm, saying “they’ve got a knife, run”, and a man collapsed on the floor
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the “appalling incident” in Cambridgeshire is “deeply concerning” and urges people to follow the advice of local authorities
Witness tells media that police tasered a man holding a knifepublished at 04:0604:06
Witnesses who were on board the train at the time of the incident described the horrific scenes to the media.
Passengers told Sky News that the stabbing started 10 minutes after the train left Peterborough, and that wounded people were seen running through the train away from somebody with a knife.
A man holding a large knife was later seen on the train platform with armed police pointing their weapons at him, one witness added – saying the man was then tasered and restrained.
‘Horrifying scenes’ – MPspublished at 03:3203:32
Several MPs have described the scene in Huntingdon as “horrifying”.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp wrote on X that his thoughts were with “all those injured and affected”, and called on the police and the government to provide an update on the incident.
Conservative Kevin Hollinrake MP echoed his words, writing that his thoughts were with the victims following the “horrifying scenes in Huntington”.
Older man ‘blocked’ attacker from stabbing younger girl, says eyewitnesspublished at 02:1802:18
An eyewitness who was on the train at the time of the incident says passengers were left in “pure panic” as bleeding victims called out for help.
Olly Foster told the BBC he initially heard people shouting “run, run, there’s a guy literally stabbing everyone”, and believed it might have been a night-after-Halloween prank.
Within minutes, people started pushing through the carriage, and Foster noticed his hand was “covered in blood” as there was “blood all over the chair” he had leaned on.
An older man “blocked” the attacker from stabbing a younger girl, leaving him with a gash on his head and neck, Foster said. Passengers around him used jackets to try to staunch the bleeding.
He added that the only thing people in his carriage could use against the attacker was a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey, leaving them “praying” that he would not enter the carriage.
Although it lasted 10 to 15 minutes in total, Foster says the incident “felt like forever”.
Police confirm they used, then rescinded, code word for terror attackpublished at 01:4701:47
Daniel Sandford
UK/Home Affairs Correspondent
British Transport Police have confirmed to the BBC that those responding to a mass stabbing on a train near Huntingdon at one point declared “Plato”, which is the national code word used by police and emergency services when responding to a “marauding terror attack”.
This declaration was later rescinded, police said.
We reported earlier that police have now declared a “major incident”, and the investigation is being supported by counter-terrorism officers.
A recap on the past six hourspublished at 01:2901:29
For those who are just joining us, it’s been almost six hours since police first received reports of multiple stabbings aboard the 18:25 service from Doncaster to King’s Cross.
After receiving that call at 19:42, a large number of emergency responders attended the scene at Huntingdon Station in Cambridgeshire, where the train made an unscheduled stop.
Police have since confirmed that nine people are in hospital with life-threatening injuries. A tenth person is being treated in hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
Two people have been arrested in connection with the incident, and are currently in police custody.
The investigation is being supported by counter-terrorism officers, and police say that trains are still not running in the area. There are also a number of road closures that remain in place.
What we don’t know:
- Victims of the attack have still not been identified, which is likely in part due to police making sure their families have been informed
- The identities of the two people who were arrested in connection with the attack have also not been released
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