Bishopsgate stabbing: Three stabbed in phone snatching robbery

Three people have been stabbed in Bishopsgate this morning as members of the public tried to intervene in a phone snatch robbery.

The incident took place just before 10am in central London near Liverpool Street station where a group of two or three people attacked a pedestrian.

Members of the public quickly went to intervene in an attempt to stop the assailants. 

City of London Police said the attack was not being treated as terror-related but is being treated as a suspected robbery, with the incident involving a phone being snatched.

PA

London Ambulance Service (LAS) were quick to attend the scene and said crews treated four people, three of whom were taken to hospital and one of whom was discharged.

Witnesses have described a fight that broke out in front of 22 Bishopsgate skyscraper. 

Sayeed Dukanwala, the owner of BK News, a newsagent next to the scene, witnessed the incident as it unfolded on Thursday morning.

He told the PA news agency: “I was here in my shop working when I saw some guys running past my shop and shouting ‘Oi oi oi.’

READ MORE: Bishopsgate Attack: Three people stabbed near Liverpool Street Station

“After a few minutes I saw a fight break out over there (at the scene) and people running away.

“Then some people came in and told me there was a stabbing. They said there was a man and a lady on the floor and there was blood.”

He added: “I felt scared and unsafe when I heard what happened.”

A 50-meter-long area has been cordoned off, outside 22 Bishopsgate which is said to be currently guarded by a number of officers from City of London Police.

Inside the scene, blood can be seen on the pavement as medical kits have been spread out on the ground in small piles. 

Following the incident, a City of London Police statement said: “We received reports of three stabbings and a person pushed to the floor on Bishopsgate at 9.46am and officers arrived at the scene at 9.51am.

“Three victims were taken by LAS to a nearby hospital to be treated.

“This is an ongoing situation, but is not being treated as terror-related.”

The force later added: “This incident is being treated as a suspected robbery. Investigations are ongoing.”

An LAS statement said: “We were called at 9.52am today to reports of a stabbing in Bishopsgate.

“We sent a number of resources – three ambulance crews, two adv paramedics, two incident response officers and our tactical response unit.

“Our crews treated four patients. Three were taken to hospital and one discharged.”

A spokesperson at 22 Bishopsgate said: “We are aware of a distressing incident that took place this morning on Bishopsgate, in the vicinity of our building, and our security team provided the police and emergency services with any necessary support while they were on site.

“We immediately carried out a dynamic risk assessment that determined there was no direct threat to the building and therefore have not locked down the building or prevented access to entrances.”