Manhunt for the masked maniac behind stabbing on train
A POLICE manhunt for a knife attacker who was filmed stabbing a passenger on a busy train gathered pace today as the victim was left fighting for life.
Graphic footage shows a hooded man wearing a face mask lunging at another person on the floor of a carriage with a large blade. Witnesses said the attack took place in front of young children who had been traumatised.
It happened on a Southeastern service travelling from Shortlands station to Beckenham Junction just before 4pm yesterday. One passenger was heard screaming “f***ing stop it now” as she called police. A man can also be heard telling a 999 operator: “I’m on the train to Beckenham Junction and this man’s stabbing someone on the train.”
British Transport Police said the victim was found at Beckenham Junction station with life-threatening wounds. An air ambulance attended the scene.
Officers were trawling through CCTV footage to piece together the knifeman’s movements after he fled. Assistant chief constable Allan Gregory said: “This is an incredibly concerning incident which took place in front of other passengers in broad daylight. We do not believe that there is any risk to the wider public.”
Police said no arrests had been made and the two men had been fighting as they boarded the train at Shortlands in Bromley. Steve White, managing director of Southeastern, called it a “very serious assault”. He added: “We are supporting the police in the gathering of evidence. Detectives are appealing for witnesses.” A witness, who was waiting at Beckenham Junction, said: “There was some blood and what looked like a discarded jacket and a dropped plastic bag of shopping.”
Another added: “There were loads of school kids and commotion. The police were here within minutes but the man had run off out of the station down the street still carrying a knife. The police later taped off an area round the back of Marks & Spencer’s. It could be where he dropped the blade.”
A Southeastern spokesman said: “All our trains are fitted with CCTV and we will be providing this footage to the British Transport Police to assist with their inquiries.”
In a separate incident, two people were left in a critical condition after being stabbed in a “senseless” attack by a stranger at Kennington Tube station last night. Officers and paramedics were alerted to reports that a man had been wounded on the northbound platform at 10.35pm. Detective inspector Paul Attwell said a second man “was injured after bravely stepping in to try to prevent the attack”.