Four people have been stabbed within three hours less than two miles apart in the latest knifings on the streets of ‘Lawless London’.
A man in his early 20s was found in a vehicle in Queensland Close, Walthamstow, at around 3.45pm yesterday.
He was rushed to a north London hospital where his condition is not life-threatening.
Less than three hours later, at 6pm, a man in his 30s was found with stab wounds less than two miles away at the junction of Brandon Road and Wood Street. Two more men – both 18 – were then found stabbed in nearby Stocksfield Road at around the same time.
The Metropolitan Police said both teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Four people were found with stab wounds less than two miles apart within three hours yesterday evening in Walthamstow
At 6pm yesterday, a man in his 30s was found with stab wounds at the junction of Brandon Road and Wood Street
In December, it was reported that Met Police responded to 13,405 incidents involving knives in just twelve months, with 106 people murdered last year.
The Metropolitan Police said yesterday’s incidents appeared to be isolated.
Chief Superintendent Simon Crick, responsible for local policing in north-east London, said: ‘I recognise the significant concern this incident has caused, particularly following a number of similar incidents over recent days, and we are taking significant steps to increase our local policing presence in the area. We are working with partners and our community to do all we can to prevent further violence’
‘Local officers, who know the community, will be on patrol in the area. These are your officers, please speak to them about any concerns you have. Our detectives are also supporting the family of the man who remains seriously ill in hospital.
‘Our relentless efforts to tackle serious violence has led to an almost a 20 percent reduction in knife crime offences in Waltham Forest over the past 12 months, however these recent incidents are a stark reminder that we can’t be complacent and I assure you that we will continue to take action to remove dangerous criminals from the streets.’
There were 319 knife crime offences in Waltham Forest in the year to the end of January 2023.
Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy (Lab) said: ‘Given the proximity of the various victims, the narrow window of time between incidents, and other recent violence, a Section 60 CJPOA was authorised at 18:30 until 06:30 tomorrow morning, covering Waltham Forest Borough.’
She also called on residents to stop ‘commentary and speculation’ after ‘serious violence’ in the area, adding: ‘I recognise these are deeply upsetting incidents and have already been in touch with the police about these matters.’
One bystander said the scene in Wood Street was ‘a bit too chaotic with police trying to redirect cars and pedestrians’, while another witness saw a man receiving first aid nearby.
The owner of a off-licence close to the crime scene at Brandon Road said: ‘It’s crazy, we just had a different stabbing a few weeks ago after about a year of it being really quiet around here.
‘I saw or heard nothing, just police arriving at the scene and the ambulances. This is a family area man, good people live here, I don’t know why it’s gotten like this recently. It’s sad, I’ve lived here a long time and it’s sad for me.’
Met Police asked anyone with information that could assist the investigation to call 101 quoting CAD 5668/22Feb or anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Also yesterday, a teenager was stabbed at London’s O2 Arena hours before K-pop boy band ATEEZ were performing.
A teenage male was found with knife wounds outside Cineworld and treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to hospital.
A teenager was stabbed at London’s O2 Arena yesterday hours before K-pop boy band ATEEZ were performing
Yesterday’s violence comes just over a week after another quadruple stabbing at a pub in Walthamstow.
Four men were rushed to hospital after trouble flared at The Duke E17 pub on Wood Street just after 8pm on February 13.
They found three men inside the pub with stab wounds, and another man close by on Shernall Street who had also been stabbed.
The men, aged between 22 and 42, were rushed to a nearby hospital. One of the men, aged 22, was initially believed to be in a life-threatening condition, but police later said this was no longer the case.
The violence comes as Met Police responded to 13,405 incidents involving knives in just twelve months, it was reported in December, in a further sign lawless London has become the knife crime capital of the country.
It was confirmed that the central borough of Westminster has the highest rate of offences by population with 253 since June, accounting for about one incident per 1,000 people.
Meanwhile, Bromley, Kingston upon Thames and Richmond upon Thames have the lowest rates in London, according to recent figures.
August last year proved the most dangerous month across the board with 1,125 offences alone, compared to 850 in February.
Nearly a quarter of all killings and more than half of shootings in London are linked to gangs, mayor Sadiq Khan revealed earlier this year.
106 people were murdered in London during 2022, compared with 132 in 2021 – the lowest since 2014.
The youngest victim was 11-month-old Hazel Prajapti, while the oldest was Thomas O’Halloran, 87, who was killed in Greenford.
