Two British nationals confirmed as suspects in Huntingdon train stabbings
Two men born in Britain are suspected of carrying out the Huntingdon train knife attack which is not believed to have been motivated by terrorism, police have said.
British Transport Police (BTP) said two people remain in a life-threatening condition following the bloody rampage on a high-speed train on Saturday evening.
Superintendent John Loveless said one suspect is a black British national and the other is a British national of Caribbean descent. Both men, aged 32 and 35, were born in the UK.
The two suspects remain in separate police stations for questioning, Mr Loveless said.
The force declared a major incident and said the pair were arrested after the 6.25pm train service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross was stopped at Huntingdon station.
The attack is believed to have happened shortly after the service departed Peterborough station.
It is unclear when the two suspects got on the train, with police also not confirming where the pair were from.
And although terrorism has been ruled out, police are still working on uncovering the motive for the attacks and have insisted that “at this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident”.
The King said he is “truly appalled and shocked to hear of the dreadful knife attack” adding: “Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with all those affected, and their loved ones.”
Mr Loveless said 11 people had been treated in hospital, and after nine originally presented with life-threatening injuries, four have now been discharged.
Commenting on whether the incident was terrorism, he told reporters: “British Transport Police declared a major incident yesterday, and counter-terrorism policing were initially supporting our investigation.
“However, at this stage, there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident.”
Mr Loveless said armed police officers and paramedics attended Huntingdon station and boarded the train, arresting the two suspects within eight minutes of the 999 call being made.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood praised the “exceptional bravery of staff and passengers on the train”.
She also confirmed the incident was not being treated as terrorism.
One of the suspects is believed to have been tasered by officers before being arrested.
Speaking on Sky News on Sunday morning, Defence Secretary John Healey said “there’s no reason for the rest of us not to get on with our lives” as he described the incident as “isolated”
Huntingdon railway station remained taped off by police on Sunday morning – with the train still visible on the platform.
A number of officers were positioned around the station and the road directly outside the station’s car park, the A1307, was shut with a number of police vehicles are on the road.
The Times newspaper said witnesses had spoken of seeing a man with a large knife and passengers hiding in the toilets to escape the rampage.
One man, who gave his name as Gavin, told Sky News he believed he saw the suspect tasered before he was arrested.
Olly Foster, who also witnessed the incident, told the BBC an older man “blocked” the attacker from stabbing a younger girl, leaving him with injuries to his head and neck.
Mr Foster told the broadcaster other passengers used their clothing to try and stem the bleeding.
The attack is understood to have started shortly after the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) train left Peterborough station.
LNER, which operates East Coast Mainline services in the UK, said disruption to its services between London Kings Cross and Lincoln, Doncaster, Leeds, Bradford Forster Square and Harrogate was expected to last until Monday, with passengers advised to defer their travel where possible.
