Huntingdon train stabbing live: two British suspects arrested

Heidi Alexander said in a statement: “I am receiving regular updates from the British Transport Police, who are leading the response to this awful incident, as well as LNER and other organisations involved.

“Trains are now running in the area. However, Huntingdon station remains closed with trains passing through.

“Passengers will see a high visibility presence of officers at stations and on trains throughout today who are there to reassure the public.”

The head of a transport union has called on the government to review security after the train stabbings to “ensure nothing like this happens again”.

Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staff’s Association, said: “This is an appalling attack on passengers and rail workers alike.

“Our immediate priority is for the welfare of the injured and all those traumatised by what has happened.

“Transport networks must be safe for everyone, both the travelling public and the staff who serve them.

“We call on the operator and government to act swiftly to review security, to support the affected workers and to ensure nothing like this happens again.”

Juliet Corby, who lives near the station, was walking past the scene on Saturday on her way to a restaurant when she saw police and paramedics running into the station.

Corby, 59, said she initially thought it had been a bomb attack because of the scale of the response. “We saw the ambulances, we saw the police cars, we saw police running into the train station,” she said. “We were like, what is going on? We saw them all running in with the paramedics, with their backpacks. So it was all pretty surreal, really.

“I thought in the first instance it must have been a bomb attack or something because there were so many police cars and ambulances.

“We knew that it must have been something terrible because the train was just stationary. It was quite scary.”

Passengers who protected others during the knife attack “embody the best of Britain”, Sir Ed Davey said.

The Liberal Democrat leader said: “My thoughts are with all those affected: the victims who we are all praying will pull through, their loved ones and everyone who witnessed such a shocking event.

“At a moment of such fear and chaos, we also saw extraordinary bravery. The stories of passengers who stepped forward to protect others embody the very best of Britain, a country where ordinary people stand together in the face of danger, look out for one another, and refuse to be cowed by violence.”

The home secretary confirmed the attack was not being treated as terrorism, as she paid tribute to the bravery of staff and passengers on the train after the stabbing.

Shabana Mahmood wrote on social media: “After last night’s horrific attack, my thoughts today are with the victims, their friends and family.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the exceptional bravery of staff and passengers on the train.

“We now know this attack is not being treated as terrorism, and that two British-born, British nationals have been arrested.

“The investigation is ongoing, and I am receiving regular updates from the police.”

The King has said he and the Queen were “truly appalled” to hear of the “dreadful knife attack” which took place on Saturday on a train near Huntingdon.

In a message released by Buckingham Palace, the King said: “My wife and I were truly appalled and shocked to hear of the dreadful knife attack that took place on board a train in Cambridgeshire last night.

“Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with all those affected, and their loved ones. We are particularly grateful to the emergency services for their response to this awful incident.”

Two people remain in a life-threatening condition after the train stabbings and two British men are being held on suspicion of attempted murder, but the incident is not being declared as terrorism.

Superintendent John Loveless, from the British Transport Police, speaking on the street just outside the station, said after the “shocking incident” that two men who were born in the UK were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and were currently being held in separate police stations.

The suspects were a 32-year-old black British citizen and a 35-year-old British citizen of Caribbean descent, he added.

Loveless said: “Ten people were taken to hospital by ambulance and another person self-presented later that evening. While nine were initially believed to have life-threatening injuries, following assessment and treatment, four — thankful to say — have been discharged. However, two people remain in a life-threatening condition.

“At this stage there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident.”

Kemi Badenoch said there was “clearly something going wrong with our society”, after the train stabbings.

The Conservative leader told the BBC: “I know many people will be asking the same questions that I’m thinking of right now, which is: ‘why is it that despite so much activity, so much done, legislation to ban knives, so much investment in mental health, so much more, we’re seeing more and more violence on our streets?’

“There’s clearly something going wrong in our society right now, which I believe all politicians of all parties need to have a conversation about.

“We cannot be a country where people are innocently going about their business and facing this level of violent crime”, she added. “It’s abhorrent, and it’s not something that we used to see before. What is causing it?”

A former head of counterterrorism at the Ministry of Defence has said the involvement of counterterrorism police in investigating the stabbings at Huntingdon does not mean it will be declared a terrorist incident.

Chip Chapman told Times Radio: “It is far too early to say this is a terrorist attack and the involvement of the CT [counterterrorism] police does not mean an incident is terrorism, they are often drawn in following mass murders or mass incidents where the initial motive is uncertain.

“Often there is no terrorist declaration because of the legal restrictions aimed at trying to stop juries being influenced.”

Police are due to give an update on the investigation into the train stabbings from 10am.

Superintendent John Loveless of the British Transport Police is expected to issue a statement outside the cordon at Huntingdon train station.

The MP for Huntingdon said it is “vital” that information about the suspects is released to “stop any misinformation and speculation from being spread”.

Ben Obese-Jecty told the PA news agency: “All I know is that two people have been arrested and were arrested at the scene. That’s as much information that has been pushed out at the moment.

“I would hope that British Transport Police are going to release some more information about the suspects when they do their press conference later on this morning. I think it’s vital that some information comes out to stop any misinformation and speculation from being spread.

He added he had seen “hundreds of comments” online speculating about the motive and background of the attacker.

The defence secretary said it was too early to say whether the train stabbings were a terrorist attack and said it was “not helpful” to speculate.

Asked whether it was a terrorist attack, John Healey told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “Well, the details are still emerging. The investigation is going, it’s an early stage, and so it’s not helpful for me to speculate.

“The counterterrorism police are supporting the investigation that’s being led by the local police, and I know that they will let us, the public, have as much information as soon as they can.”

The UK’s terror threat level remains unchanged following the stabbings in Huntingdon, the defence secretary said, adding that he took the same train route just hours before the attack.

John Healey told Sky News: “This was the very service that my wife and I, Jackie, took just a few hours before this attack. It’s the service I use every week to get home to Rotherham, so I can’t begin to imagine how shocked and frightened those passengers were.”

Asked by Sir Trevor Phillips if the attack had changed the UK’s terror threat level, he said it remained “substantial” — meaning an attack is considered “likely” — as before.

Nigel Farage has said the public needs to know who carried out the stabbings “as soon as possible”, as the police continue to hold two suspects.

The Reform UK leader posted on X to say: “The attack last night in Huntington was horrific.”

“My thoughts are with all the victims and their families”, he added. “We need to know who committed these awful attacks as soon as possible.”

The LNER train where the violence unfolded last night remains at Huntingdon station, which has been cordoned off by police as their investigation continues.

The train at Huntingdon station

TERRY HARRIS FOR THE TIMES

A number of officers are positioned around the station, outside of which people’s belongings can be seen scattered on the ground. Other emergency personnel are also on the scene.

The road directly outside the station’s car park, the A1307, is shut and a number of police vehicles are on the road.

The Huntingdon train attack was an “isolated incident”, the defence secretary said as he urged the public to “get on with their lives”.

John Healey told Sky News’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “Well, for me, the British public are pretty tough, pretty resilient.

John Healey

JUSTIN NG/ALAMY

“We’re not going to be deflected from carrying out our everyday lives.

“And that’s right, I don’t want people to feel that they can’t or they shouldn’t, and they will.

“But I think it requires us all to be more vigilant, more vigilant about our electronic devices, about the risk of cyberfraud and cyberattack and just be more vigilant for looking out for others around us.”

Police urged the public not to speculate on “the causes of the incident”.

A view inside a carriage of the train on Sunday morning

TERRY HARRIS FOR THE TIMES

Chief superintendent Chris Casey, the commander for London and southeast England, said: “This is a shocking incident and first and foremost my thoughts are with those who have been injured this evening and their families.

“We’re conducting urgent enquiries to establish what has happened, and it could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything further. At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.

“Our response is ongoing at the station and will be for some time. Cordons are in place and trains are not currently running through the area, and there are also some road closures.”

Witnesses have spoken to The Times of seeing a man with a large knife and passengers hiding in the toilets to escape the rampage. One said there was “blood everywhere” and people were getting “stamped” on by others as they tried to flee. The witness said: “I heard some people shouting we love [you].”

Witnesses described terrifying scenes that unfolded on the train

TOBY SHEPHEARD/STORY PICTURE AGENCY

One man, who gave his name as Gavin, told Sky News he believed he saw the suspect tasered before he was arrested.

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 prank related to Halloween. An older man “blocked” the attacker from stabbing a younger girl, leaving him with injuries to his head and neck, Foster said, adding other passengers used their clothing to try and stem the bleeding.

The British Transport Police have confirmed that officers responding to the mass stabbing at one point declared “Plato”, which is the national code word used by emergency services when responding to a “marauding terror attack”.

This declaration was later rescinded, the force said.

An armed police officer at the scene last night

TOBY SHEPHEARD/STORY PICTURE AGENCY

Cambridgeshire police said they were called at 7.39pm on Saturday to reports that multiple people had been stabbed on a train, which was arriving at Huntingdon station. Armed police from the force, which is headquartered less than a mile away from Huntingdon station, arrived five minutes later and boarded the train, where officers arrested the two suspects.

British Transport Police were called at 7.42pm and are now leading the investigation. Police secured the train and were on the scene with dog units.

Two men were arrested after armed officers responded to emergency calls reporting the attack.

One witness, who gave his name as Gavin, told Sky News he believed a suspect was tasered before being arrested. He said he was told the witness was “a black male in all black”.

Police have not yet confirmed the ages of those arrested or what they have been arrested on suspicion of.

Ten people were injured in a mass stabbing on the Doncaster to London train on Saturday night, including nine who were said to be in a life-threatening condition.

The British Transport Police (BTP), which is leading the investigation, said shortly after midnight that there had been no immediate fatalities.

David Horne, managing director of LNER, praised the emergency services for their “quick and professional response and the care they have provided to those injured”.