Police cordon off an area in Leicester Square, as a man was arrested with the accusation of stabbing an 11-year-old girl and 34-year-old woman, in London, Monday Aug. 12, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

London’s Metropolitan Police say a man has been arrested after an 11-year-old girl and a 34-year-old woman were stabbed in central London.

Monday’s (August 12, 2024) attack occurred in Leicester Square, which is heavily visited by tourists at this time of year.

Police said the two victims were taken to a hospital. The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.

The stabbing occurred as Britain is on edge after violence for the past week as crowds spouting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans clashed with police. The disturbances have been fuelled by right-wing activists using social media to spread misinformation about a knife attack that killed three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event.

Police talking to members of the public at the scene in Hainault, north east London, Tuesday, April 30, 2024 after reports of several people being stabbed at a Tube station.
| Photo Credit: AP

A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and two police officers on April 30 in the east London community of Hainault before being arrested, police said. The incident is not being treated as terror-related.

The Metropolitan Police said they were called on April 30 to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house in a residential street and people being stabbed close to the Hainault underground station. A 36-year-old man was arrested at the scene, police said.

No other details were immediately available.

“This must have been a terrifying incident for those concerned,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said. “I know the wider community will be feeling shock and alarm. People will want to know what has happened and we will provide more information as soon as we can.”

He added that police do not believe there is a threat to the wider community. “We are not looking for more suspects,” he said. ”This incident does not appear to be terror-related.”