Moment man ‘tries to stab Jewish person with machete’ outside London supermarket

Police have arrested a man after he was seen waving a knife around outside a London Kosher supermarket.

The incident took place at Kay’s Local on Hamilton Road in Golders Green, North London, at around 1.40pm this afternoon.

In footage that has appeared online, the man is seen waving a knife at people inside a Kosher supermarket. According to reports, he was trying to “stab Jewish people” outside the store.

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “We were called at 13:27hrs on Monday, 29 January to reports of a man with a knife in Hamilton Road, NW11. Officers responded and carried out a search of the area. Shortly before 13:40hrs a 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, criminal damage and racially-aggravated affray.

“He was taken into custody. There were no reports of any injuries. A knife was recovered at the scene. The incident is not being treated as terror-related.”

According to reports, the man changed into different clothes as he returned to the scene “disguised”.

Inspector Scott Barden-Marshall said: “I know this incident will cause concern in the community. Officers responded quickly and made an arrest within 10 minutes. An investigation is now under way to establish the circumstances”.

Golders Green is known for having a prominent Jewish community, dating back to 1910 where Jewish-owned shops were opened for the first time.

In recent months, the community shared concerns after the area was targeted by vandalism in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel.

Residents and businesses in Golders Green woke up to pro-Palestinian graffiti in their neighbourhood.

Police stepped up patrols in Jewish areas of London as a result. Speaking in front of a Jewish restaurant that was broken into, Mike Freer, MP for Finchley and Golders Green, said: “The local community feel they are under siege, and my job is to make sure their views are fed back into the heart of government and the PM wants to be kept fully informed.

“But equally, the community here just want to live peacefully and I know the Jewish community here in Golders Green simply want to get on with their lives.

“It is a peaceful and law-abiding community and in the UK we value freedom of religion and freedom of expression and we shouldn’t allow anyone to undermine that fundamental part of our society.”