Mass stabbing in Covent Garden leaves four people seriously hurt

A woman has been arrested after four men were stabbed in Covent Garden in central London, the Metropolitan Police said. The men were rushed to a hospital major trauma centre after the attack on Endell Street just before 12.30pm. The stabbing was mental health-related and a pair of scissors were recovered at the scene, it is understood. Shorts The woman, who is aged 47, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault and remains in custody, the force said. No details have been released regarding the condition of the men. Matt Bishop, who works at a consultancy firm in Covent Garden, said in the aftermath of the attack he saw woman having a “stand-off” with three police officers and waving a weapon around. He said: “I didn’t see the stabbing. I saw her running down the road towards the crossroads. “There was a bit of a stand-off with three police officers. “She didn’t seem to be particularly coherent. She was pretty incoherent in what she was shouting, the officer was asking what language she was shouting.” An ambulance crew and London’s Air Ambulance were among the emergency services who rushed to the scene. London Ambulance Service said in a statement: “We treated four patients at the scene and took them all to a major trauma centre as a priority by road.” Four men were stabbed on Endell Street (Photo: PA) Eyewitnesses Lottie and Ben saw a man being assessed by ambulance staff, as they walked down a street near where the attack occurred. Lottie told Sky News: “We saw a few tactical vans. We heard commotion… we didn’t know what was going on. “It was a little bit scary.” A large cordon has been put up which covers the scene and surrounding areas, including the St Mungo’s homeless centre on the street, where officers were seen speaking to people before they entered the building. Restaurants adjacent to the cordon towards Long Acre are continuing to operate. London’s Air Ambulance was seen landing in Trafalgar Square following reports of the stabbing, the BBC reports. Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call police on 101, quoting reference number CAD3449/05AUG. This is a breaking news story and will be updated. EXPLORE MORE ON THE TOPICS IN THIS STORY