Man in his 30s arrested over latest Edmonton stabbing

A man in his 30s has been arrested after a man was left with life-threatening injuries after being stabbed in Edmonton, north London this morning.

The attack is the fifth in the same part of London where four other people were knifed in random attacks over the weekend.

Officers were called to reports of a man stabbed in Aberdeen Road, N18, around 5am this morning and attended with the London Ambulance Service.

There they found a man, also believed to be in his 30s, suffering a stab injury.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “A man aged in his 30s was arrested in the Edmonton Green area this morning. He has been taken into custody at a north London police station.”

The said they “retain an open mind” as to whether this incident is linked to the incidents in the same area over the weekend.

“Police advise members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police,” they said.

Earlier, the force said the suspect it was hunting in all five attacks fits the same description – a skinny black man who is approximately 1.9m/6ft 3in tall and wearing dark clothes, including a hoodie.

Chief superintendent Helen Millichap said on Tuesday afternoon: “The actions of the suspect, the fact that the instances were in a similar area, and the descriptions given, mean that we are potentially only looking for one individual perpetrator.

“However, until these investigations have developed further and we are in a position to speak with certainty about this, I have a duty to ask the public to remain vigilant and to continue to report anything suspicious to us.”

Sky News reporter Inzamam Rashid, at the scene, said one of the force’s detectives has told him they are “highly likely linked”.

Police believe the man may have mental health issues and was acting alone in the attacks, which are not thought to be terror-related.

The latest victim is reported to have been walking with a companion when he was attacked in Fairfield Road and made his way to nearby Aberdeen Road, where he was found by police.

The other person was not hurt.

Police have cordoned off several local streets while a black jacket, metallic blanket and medical equipment were seen at the scene in Aberdeen Road.

The victim has been taken to a hospital in east London where his condition is life-threatening.

Aberdeen Road is where a 45-year-old woman, who was left in a critical condition in hospital, was stabbed in the back in at about 7pm on Saturday as the series of attacks began.

A male victim, 52, was stabbed four hours later in Park Avenue in the same area. He was taken to hospital but his condition was not life-threatening and he has since been discharged.

The third attack, on a 23-year-old man at Seven Sisters underground station, came in the early hours of Sunday morning. He is in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

A 29-year-old man was left with potentially life-changing injuries after the fourth attack, in Brettenham Road, N18 around six hours later.

Mike Kalongi, 28, who lives near the scene of the stabbing, said: “It’s getting a bit close… “I usually go to the gym at night, but over the last few days I decided not to.

“I’m going shopping. I usually have my headphones on but I want to stay aware and try not to be a victim. It’s scary. It’s really scary.”

Kelvin Ojo, 36, said: “It’s scary now, this is not normal. It’s been peaceful for a while until all this drama started coming up. Now I’m starting thinking about moving from this area, I’m not liking it.”

Urging the public to stay vigilant, Detective Superintendent Luke Marks, of the North Area Command Unit, said: “While at this stage the incident has not yet been formally linked, the location and manner of this attack will be of concern to the public.

Two men previously arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm (GBH) both remain in custody.

(c) Sky News 2019: Man in his 30s arrested over latest Edmonton stabbing