Covent Garden Stabbing: Why Investigators Say the Attack Was an 'Isolated Incident'

A 47-year-old woman has been arrested after four men were stabbed with a pair of scissors on a busy street close to London's Covent Garden in what the Metropolitan Police believe was an isolated incident linked to mental health.

The attack happened shortly before 12:30pm on Wednesday along Endell Street, a busy route close to Covent Garden and the Shaftesbury Theatre. Four men aged 34, 39, 42 and 52 suffered stab wounds. London Ambulance Service treated them at the scene before taking them to a major trauma centre. Two have since been discharged, while the remaining two are being treated for injuries not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.

Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart said officers responded within minutes after receiving multiple emergency calls. Police said the woman was arrested at the scene and that early enquiries had found no evidence anyone else was involved or that the attack was linked to terrorism. Investigators therefore believe it was an isolated incident related to the woman's mental health, adding there is currently no indication of any ongoing risk to the wider public.

Witnesses Describe Chaotic Scene

Witnesses said the stabbings unfolded during one of the busiest periods of the day, with tourists, office workers and lunchtime diners filling the surrounding streets, restaurants and theatres in London's West End.

Ahmad, a waiter at a nearby restaurant who declined to give his surname, told AFP he saw police pursuing the woman while she was carrying what appeared to be a bladed object. He said officers used a Taser during the arrest, describing it as 'the only way they could get her to drop the knife.' The Metropolitan Police has not confirmed whether officers used a Taser.

Staff at nearby businesses also assisted one of the injured men after he ran inside seeking help with a wound to his back before ambulance crews arrived.

Another restaurant worker, Arjan, said staff initially struggled to understand what had happened because the violence appeared to erupt without warning. He said they saw people 'lying down' as emergency services arrived, adding that 'even the victims, they didn't believe what was happening.'

Detectives Continue Investigation

Police said officers recovered a pair of scissors believed to have been used in the attack and arrested the woman on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault. Detectives are reviewing CCTV footage from surrounding businesses and have appealed for witnesses, or anyone with mobile phone footage, to contact the Metropolitan Police.

Stewart said investigators were continuing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident but reiterated that there was currently no evidence of any wider threat or connection to terrorism. Police added there was nothing at this stage to suggest the injured men had any prior connection with the suspect.

Area Reopens After Cordon

A police cordon remained in place for several hours while forensic officers examined the scene, causing disruption in the busy West End district before Endell Street reopened later in the afternoon.

Images from the scene showed an air ambulance landing in nearby Trafalgar Square as emergency services treated the injured men.

Several local business owners said they recognised the woman as someone who regularly spent time in the area, although the Metropolitan Police has not commented on those accounts.

The woman remains in custody while detectives continue reviewing evidence, speaking to witnesses and establishing the full circumstances surrounding the attack.