Woman arrested after four men stabbed in London Covent Garden

Covent Garden Stabbing Incident

A woman has been arrested after four men were stabbed in London's Covent Garden, according to the Metropolitan Police. The incident occurred on Endell Street, a bustling area in the heart of Covent Garden, at around 12:27pm on Wednesday, as reported by the Metropolitan Police.

The four men, aged 34, 39, 42, and 52, were found with stab wounds and were taken to a major trauma center for treatment. Two of the men have since been discharged from hospital, while the other two remain in hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing, as stated by the Metropolitan Police.

A 47-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault. She remains in police custody. The Metropolitan Police believe the incident was mental health-related and have seized a pair of scissors at the scene, as reported by the Metropolitan Police and confirmed by mirror.co.uk and nbcnews.com.

Emergency services, including the London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance, responded quickly to the incident. A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We were called at 12:29pm today (5 August) to reports of a stabbing on Endell Street, WC2H. We sent an ambulance crew, paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer. We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance. We treated four patients at the scene and took them all to a major trauma centre as a priority by road."

A large police cordon was put in place on Endell Street, with dozens of officers remaining in the area to gather evidence and speak to witnesses. Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart, who leads policing in the area, said: "Officers responded within minutes of this incident after receiving a number of reports. While still at an early stage of the investigation, we would like to reassure the community that we currently believe this to be an isolated, mental health-related incident." A visible police presence will remain in the area while evidence is gathered at the scene, as stated by Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart.

The Metropolitan Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call 101, quoting reference CAD3449/05AUG. Witnesses described the scene as "strange" and "chaotic", with one woman reporting that she heard someone shouting that a person was "stabbing people with scissors", as reported by mirror.co.uk. Another witness, Matt Bishop, said he saw police in a "stand off" with a woman, who was "shouting incoherently" at the time, as reported by abc.net.au.

The incident has caused disruption in the area, with road blocks in place and crowds gathering near the cordons. However, by 3:30pm local time, police road blocks in the area had been removed, and the street was starting to return to normal, as reported by express.co.uk.

Covent Garden is renowned as one of London's premier theatre and entertainment districts, and the incident has caused concern among locals and visitors alike. The Metropolitan Police are working to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and are urging anyone with information to come forward. As the investigation continues, the community is being reassured that the incident is believed to be isolated and mental health-related, as stated by the Metropolitan Police.