A ’employee’ attacked two colleagues at a London hospital with a pickaxe earlier than turning the weapon on himself, based on witnesses who noticed the horrifying rampage unfold this afternoon.
Witnesses have described the frenzy at Central Middlesex Hospital which sparked an armed police response and compelled terrified sufferers to cower in ‘secure rooms’ earlier than the suspect was arrested.
Armed officers stormed the hospital in Park Royal, north west London, at round 1.20pm right this moment and locked down the positioning for simply over two hours. One of many two victims has been left in a crucial situation.
The suspect can also be combating for his life in hospital with what are believed to have been ‘self-inflicted accidents’, the Met mentioned.
Gareth Browne, who works for specialist building firm Premier Technical Providers Group Ltd (PTSG), mentioned the suspect armed with a pickaxe was a contractor, who works as an on-site supervisor on the hospital. MailOnline has contacted the Met Police to verify this.
Armed police attend experiences of an alleged stabbing at Central Middlesex Hospital in West London
Steeplejack Gareth Browne (talking to media, who was contracted to work on the hospital, mentioned the suspect was armed with a pickaxe
Mr Browne, who’s a steeplejack, mentioned: ‘I assumed it was sufferers or one thing and he was making an attempt to chase any individual out of the hospital. So I approached him to ensure he was okay and he informed me ‘get out my f*****g means!’
‘I type of stepped out of his means, he seemed like he was going dwelling and he is coming again into the hospital and executed what he is executed.
‘He had a pickaxe and he was swinging it round, simply down the aspect [of the hospital].
‘There was two of them he was chasing, apparently there was a little bit of grief, grievance, between the 2 at work and at dwelling so clearly one thing’s occurred between them.
Mr Browne added that he thought one thing was taking place to the sufferers in order that they needed to ensure he was alright.
He continued: ‘After which when he rotated and informed me to ‘f**king do one’ I simply acquired out of the way in which. I solely met him for the primary time yesterday.
‘I acquired a upkeep boy come alongside and say he is simply stabbed any individual and gone on a rampage.’
He added: ‘There was two of them he was chasing, apparently they had been neighbours.
Photos from the scene present emergency companies swarming the hospital in London right this moment
The alleged stabbing occurred at Central Middlesex Hospital in Park Royal, West London
‘Apparently there was a little bit of grief, grievance, between the 2 at work and at dwelling so clearly one thing’s occurred between them.’
Inside cops discovered two individuals with stab wounds, considered one of which is being handled as life-threatening, whereas the second is being classed as minor.
The carnage just isn’t being handled as a terror incident and no different suspects are being hunted, Scotland Yard mentioned, amid false claims there was doubtlessly a second attacker at massive.
Amongst these additionally caught up in right this moment’s drama was Amie Ferris-Rotman, who was ordered to cover within the dialysis unit by armed police for round 45 minutes, whereas her father was getting handled.
She informed Sky Information: ‘There have been plenty of armed police, heaps operating round. They usually informed us they had been in search of a second suspect, who was wounded and was hiding out someplace within the hospital.’
Journalist Ms Ferris-Rotman mentioned she and her father arrived on the hospital shortly earlier than 1.30pm.
She added: ‘Not lengthy after we checked in for his appointment we heard scuffles and noticed plenty of motion, plenty of police operating round. Armed police had been immediately operating round, immediately all of the nurses within the dialysis unit had been clearly actually scared and fairly panicked.
‘Police mentioned everybody needed to evacuate instantly and the nurses mentioned ‘no we have got individuals on dialysis machines, that may be subsequent to unimaginable to do’.
‘Then the police got here in and did a quick verify of the dialysis and renal unit after which locked us down and had armed police at each entrance.
‘They put my father, me and two different sufferers in a small nurses room and locked the door.
‘A number of the sufferers had been fairly freaked out and at one level those that had been about to go onto dialysis had been placed on wheelchairs and introduced right into a room, which is the place we had been as effectively.
‘Outdoors there have been heaps and many police groups and completely different models. There have been about 12 or 13 police vehicles and an incident response unit. Nobody was allowed inside and many sufferers had been milling about outdoors.’
She wrote on social media on the time of the alert: ‘I’m at Middlesex Central hospital within the dialysis unit and we’re sheltering in secure rooms.
‘Armed policemen are on the scene, being described as a ”main incident”.’
Sufferers contained in the hospital reported that they had been on ‘lockdown’ after a ‘main incident’ was declared
The Metropolitan Police mentioned a person has been arrested
Chatting with LBC, she added: ‘I used to stay in Afghanistan as a reporter, so I went into automated disaster mode.
‘We did not hear taking pictures or something. There have been plenty of police and so they’re nonetheless right here as a result of the entire hospital’s been evacuated and everybody’s standing outdoors.’
Mark Thewlis tweeted his accomplice was additionally trapped on the hospital in a ‘lockdown state of affairs’, whereas the suspected knifeman was ‘nonetheless at massive’.
‘Police with weapons swarming hospital now. Companion been suggested to remain locked in room with colleagues/sufferers,’ he added.
Whereas a 3rd mentioned: ‘The entire space is on lockdown and so they have evacuated so far as they’ll safely and there may be now ambulances and police.’
London Ambulance Service it ‘handled two individuals on the scene’ with paramedics nonetheless serving to as a part of the ‘ongoing incident’. London Air Ambulance was additionally in attendance.
London North West College Healthcare NHS Belief, which runs the hospital, Tweeted: ‘There’s an ongoing incident at Central Middlesex Hospital. Please observe any directions given to you by the police.’
A spokesman for the hospital belief later added: ‘Police are on web site and the hospital was quickly locked down for a brief time period as a precautionary measure.
‘Working carefully with the Metropolitan Police, now we have now reopened the hospital and companies will proceed as regular.’
The hospital is situated within the centre of Park Royal enterprise property and is on the border between Brent and Ealing.
Armed cops are attending a scene at Central Middlesex Hospital in London following experiences of a stabbing on web site
Law enforcement officials and ambulances arrived on the hospital round 2pm
The hospital is situated within the centre of Park Royal enterprise property and is on the border between Brent and Ealing (file picture)
The Met Police mentioned they had been conscious of the incident and armed police had been on the scene. A person has been arrested
The hospital belief confirmed there was an ‘ongoing incident’ on the hospital
London Ambulance Service mentioned they had been coping with an ‘ongoing incident’ on the hospital
A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service mentioned: ‘We had been referred to as right this moment (21 June) at 1:18pm to experiences of an incident at Central Middlesex Hospital.
‘We despatched various sources to the scene, together with an incident response officer, a complicated paramedic, an ambulance crew, a medic in a quick response automobile, and members of our Hazardous Space Response Workforce (HART).
‘We additionally dispatched London’s Air Ambulance. Our groups have up to now handled two individuals on the scene. The incident continues to be ongoing.’
Law enforcement officials mentioned they’ll stay on the hospital as additional searches are carried out however ‘right now they’re glad that nobody else is sought’.
The hospital has since re-opened with companies working as regular. There’s a heightened police presence.
A spokesman for the Met added: ‘A person has been arrested following a stabbing at Central Middlesex Hospital.
‘Armed officers had been amongst these responding after calls at 1:18pm on Wednesday, June 21, to experiences that two individuals had been stabbed.
‘Officers discovered two individuals with stab accidents. The primary sufferer has accidents which might be being handled as life-threatening.
‘The second sufferer’s accidents aren’t being handled as life-threatening.
‘Police arrested a person outdoors the hospital. He has additionally been conveyed to hospital having acquired accidents which might be believed to be self-inflicted. His situation is being handled as life-threatening.
‘Officers will stay within the hospital as additional searches are carried out however right now they’re glad that nobody else is sought.
‘Police are working to ascertain the circumstances. Presently the incident just isn’t being handled as terror-related.
‘The hospital was quickly locked down however has now reopened and might be working companies as regular.
‘There’s a heightened police presence on the hospital whereas we examine.’
