Girl, 11, and mum, 34, stabbed in central London

A shop security guard has described how he tried to save an 11-year-old girl as she was being attacked by a knifeman in London’s Leicester Square.

 

In a statement, the Met Police said a 32-year-old man had been arrested and taken into custody after the girl and her 34-year-old mother were stabbed.

 

Abdullah, 29, who works at Leicester Square, said he intervened to stop the attacker and, with help from colleagues, gave first aid to the child.

 

The police said they were “not looking for anyone else” in connection with the attack and did not believe the victims knew their attacker.

It also said that “at this stage,” there was no suggestion the stabbing was terror-related.

 

The force added that the girl required hospital treatment for “serious” but not life-threatening injuries, while her mother’s wounds were “more minor”.

 

Police officers remain at the scene, which is in one of the busiest tourist districts in the capital.

 

Several police officers were at the scene following the stabbing
Abdullah told the BBC he had heard “a scream”, so he “jumped on the attacker… and kicked the knife away from him”.

 

“I heard a scream and I just went outside and saw one guy had a knife,” he explained.
“The moment I saw it, I just jumped on that guy, grabbed his hand, put him down on the floor and kicked the knife away from him.”

He said a couple of other men also came over to help and held the man down for “four to five” minutes, adding he decided to take action because “I had no time, I just didn’t think”.
‘Duty to save them’
“It’s horrible, to be honest; I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Abdullah said.

 

He added that he and his colleagues gave first aid to the child before the police took over.
“I just saw a kid getting stabbed and I just tried to save her,” he said.
“I must just save them.”

 

Another eyewitness, called Jacqueline, said she “heard a scream” and ran straight over to find a “horrific” scene.
“I saw a young girl on the floor with her mom, and a few guys tackled the man to the floor.
“It just happened so quickly. The police arrived, and then the ambulance arrived.
“I could see there was a lot of blood.”

 

A man who works opposite the scene, and who did not want to be identified, said he had seen the suspect earlier in the day.

“He was standing, doing nothing, eating,” he said.