A schoolgirl and a woman have been rushed to hospital after they were stabbed in Leicester Square today in broad daylight.
The little girl, 11, and a woman, 34, were hospitalised after the nightmare unfolded in the bustling tourist hotspot just before midday.
Emergency crews were scrambled to the area, which sees thousands of visitors come through every day, just after 11.36am.
Police said the 11-year-old girl needs hospital treatment but her injuries are not life threatening. The 34-year-old woman suffered more minor injuries.
The Met Police stressed there was no suggestion the incident was terror-related.
Detectives say a man has been arrested and is currently being held in custody.
A security guard said he ‘jumped on’ and took a knife from the man who stabbed the child.
The guard, who gave his name as Abdullah, 29, said he had worked in security at the TWG Tea shop for the past ‘seven to eight months’.
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The area outside a tea shop next to the LEGO story had been cordoned off with police tape
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A police cordon has been put in place surrounding the double doors of the TWG Tea shop on Leicester Square
He said: ‘I heard a scream, at that moment I saw there was one person, roughly (in their) mid-30s or early 30s, and he was like stabbing a kid.
‘I jumped on him, held the hand in which he was (carrying) a knife, and just put him down on the floor and just held him and took the knife away from him.
‘Then a couple of more people joined as well, and we just held him until the police came, it took maybe three to four minutes for the police to arrive and then they just took him into custody.’
He and his colleagues gave first aid to the child before the police joined in, he said.
‘I just saw a kid getting stabbed and I just tried to save her. It’s my duty to just save them.’
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There were no immediate details about how badly injured they were. Police say a man has been arrested and is currently being held in custody
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Two woman and child were treated at the scene by paramedics from London Ambulance Service
He added that he did not know if the girl was with family members at the time.
A police cordon has been put in place surrounding the double doors of the TWG Tea shop on Leicester Square.
The cordon is beside the LEGO store and in front of the M&M store, and families and tourists are still standing in queues for each.
At least six police officers are at the scene, which is popular among tourists and shoppers.
A Met spokesman said: ‘We don’t believe there are any outstanding suspects.
‘Two victims, an 11-yr-old girl and a 34-yr-old woman, have been taken to hospital and we await an update on their condition.’
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The cordon is beside the LEGO store and in front of the M&M store, and families and tourists are still standing in queues for each
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A baseball cap at the scene in Leicester Square, London, as a man has been arrested after an 11-year-old girl and 34-year-old woman were stabbed
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We were called at 11.36am on Monday August 12 to reports of a stabbing at Leicester Square.
‘We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic and an incident response officer. We also dispatched members of our tactical response unit.
‘We treated a child and an adult at the scene and took them to a major trauma centre.’
