A shop security guard has described how he disarmed a knifeman after an 11-year-old girl was stabbed in London’s Leicester Square.
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Abdullah, 29, said he “heard a scream”, then “jumped on” the man who was attacking the child before holding him down and taking the knife off him.
“I just saw a kid getting stabbed and I just tried to save her. It’s my duty to just save them,” he said.
Abdullah said he and his colleagues gave first aid to the child before police arrived within four minutes of the attack on Monday morning.
The Metropolitan Police said the girl will require hospital treatment but her injuries are not life threatening.
The force said a 32-year-old man was arrested at the scene and officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack.
There is no suggestion the incident is terror-related and police don’t believe the suspect and the victims are known to each other.
Abdullah, who has worked at the TWG Tea shop for around eight months, said he “heard a scream” and saw there was a person in his early to mid-30s “stabbing a kid”.
Police officers at the scene in Leicester Square.
Pic: PA
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Police praised the bravery of those who stepped in to help.
“This is a horrific incident and our thoughts are with the victims and their family,” said Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah.
“We will continue to provide support to them over the coming days and weeks.
“I would like to pay tribute to the members of the public, including staff from local businesses, who bravely intervened in this incident.
“They put themselves at risk and showed the best of London in doing so.”
The scene in Leicester Square. Pic: PA
Discarded clothing and emergency medical equipment in the TWG Tea shop. Pic: PA
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A napkin covered in blood could be seen on the pavement along with objects including lighters and a baseball cap at the scene in central London, which is a popular destination for tourists.
The square and the surrounding area have an estimated 2.5 million visitors every week and are home to shops, theatres, cinemas and restaurants.
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A police cordon was put in place surrounding the double doors of the TWG Tea shop, which is beside the Lego store and in front of the M&Ms store.
A witness, who performs as Darth Vader, said he saw a young, white, skinny male dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans putting the girl in a headlock and stabbing her.
The man, who gave his name as Desmond, 45, said: “It was so terrible, I’ve never seen a thing like that. I was heartbroken, I saw the woman was screaming with all her strength.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said they were called at 11.36am 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,” they said.
“We treated a child and an adult at the scene and took them to a major trauma centre.”