London KFC Stabbing Horror Leaves Four Men in Hospital as Witnesses Describe 'Machetes' and 'A Lot of Blood'

Four men are in hospital, one in a critical condition, after a stabbing in broad daylight on Bromley High Street in south-east London. Witnesses reported seeing large blades and 'a lot of blood' on the pavement.

The Metropolitan Police said officers were called at around 2.15pm on Thursday to reports of an altercation on the busy shopping stretch. Alongside London Ambulance Service crews and London's Air Ambulance, they found four men with stab wounds.

All four men were taken to hospital. Three had injuries not believed to be life-threatening, while one remained in a critical condition. Seven men have been arrested and remain in custody as detectives investigate.

Witnesses Tell of Panic Outside Takeaway

The incident appears to have centred on the doorway of the KFC branch, although KFC said the incident did not take place inside its restaurant. One eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said she saw 'a fight breaking out at the door of KFC', with people caught both inside and outside.

'A male in a grey tracksuit pulled out a machete and ran further into KFC holding it up in the air, at which point most people around KFC started running away, including my friend and I,' she said. 'I did not turn around until we got to the shopping centre, where I saw him running away with someone down a road.'

A shop owner said a customer reported seeing 'really big knives', while a bus driver said colleagues mentioned a 'zombie knife'.

None of these specific details has been confirmed by police, and they should be treated as eyewitness accounts rather than established fact.

Resident Vinnie Guadagnino said he saw multiple police cars and around 10 officers rush to the scene.

'Police cars kept coming, then within the next half hour there were multiple fire engines and people gathering,' he said. 'Then there was a drone overhead and helicopters and an air ambulance, so a massive emergency service response.'

Shops Lock Doors as Street Is Sealed Off

shopping centre and the town's two railway stations, was closed for much of the afternoon. Police cordoned off the road, with buses diverted and several services affected between the town square and Bromley South station.

Nearby business owners described taking shelter as the situation unfolded. Georgiana, manager of the Merkur Slots gambling shop, said she saw 'a fight spill out' onto the pavement and locked three customers inside until the disturbance had eased.

At Antonio's Male Grooming, next door to KFC, barber George Ioannou said he heard 'a really loud bang and people running from KFC'. He let an elderly woman sheltering from the disturbance into his shop and locked the door behind her, adding that she was crying and that sirens followed around five minutes later.

Residents Reassured by Police Presence

Local man Fergal Hickey said the police response had reassured residents. 'You can see the police out there have the situation under control, so you do not really need to be too anxious about it,' he said, 'but it is still pretty crazy to see it when it happens.'

The Metropolitan Police said inquiries were continuing and that there was not believed to be any wider threat to the public. Officers and forensic specialists remained at the scene into the evening.

Peter Fortune, the Conservative MP for Bromley and Biggin Hill, said he understood residents would have safety concerns and pledged to stay in close contact with the Met as the investigation develops. Anyone with information has been asked to contact police on 101.