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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National

Ilford stabbing: Police officer knifed in horrific scenes outside east London station

A police officer has been stabbed in horrific scenes outside an east London railway station.

The male officer was attacked with a knife outside Ilford Station on Friday night, police said.

He was rushed to hospital by ambulance for treatment for his injuries.

Witnesses described seeing the bloodied officer outside the station as it was put on "complete lockdown".

One person tweeted: "At Ilford station... just come outside and all I see is someone on the floor, blood and police."

Footage shared on social media showed a man being restrained on the floor as more officers arrived.

Witness Jay Singh told the Standard he was walking to Ilford station after work and saw it had been taped off.

He said: "There were loads of police officers moving people away from the station.

“I asked someone what had happened and someone told me that a police officer had been attacked in the main entrance to the station.”

The scene outside Ilford Station in east London after a police officer was stabbed on Friday night (PA)

British Transport Police confirmed a man has been arrested over the incident. The officer's injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

Counter-terrorism police are not involved at this stage, it is understood.

The incident comes amid concerns of an increase in attacks on police officers amid a rise in violent crime across London.

"Officers are appealing for information after a BTP police officer was stabbed outside Ilford Station earlier this evening," the force said.

"Around 9.45pm this evening a male officer was approached whilst on duty outside Ilford Station and was attacked with a knife.

"The London Ambulance Service has taken the officer to hospital, where he is being treated for his injuries, which are not thought to be life threatening.

"A man has been arrested."

Following a recent incident where an officer was kung-fu kicked into a road, close to the path of a bus, Met Police Federation chairman Ken Marsh called for officers to be given greater support.

He previously warned of a "breakdown in society" after two officers were attacked as they tried to apprehend a suspect in Hackney.

"There is an element of people out there who just have no respect whatsoever and don't care," he said.

"They don't care about their actions, don't care how they behave and don't care about the consequences and we are left to face that twenty-four hours a day seven days a week."

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