HUNTINGDON: A 32-year-old British man was the sole suspect accused of a mass stabbing on a train in England, after another man arrested in the case was released on Sunday with no charges.
British police said the knife attack that put 11 people in hospital was not a terrorist incident. A 35-year-old man who had been arrested earlier was released after officers concluded he was not involved in the attack.
By late Sunday, five of the injured had been discharged from hospital.
Among those still being treated was a member of the train crew who tried to stop the attacker and was in a life-threatening condition, said police.
“Detectives have reviewed the closed-circuit television camera from the train and it is clear his actions were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved many people’s lives,” said police.
Counterterrorism police had helped with the initial investigation after the mass stabbing on Saturday, but they later said there was nothing to suggest that the incident was terrorism.
Work was now ongoing to establish the events leading up to the attack and the suspect’s background, said police.
A knife had also been recovered from the scene.
“Our investigation is moving at pace and we are confident we are not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident,” said Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy in a statement.
Police described the sole suspect as a British national from Peterborough, 160km north of London, who had boarded the train there.
The suspect was arrested by armed police after the train made an emergency stop at Huntingdon.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it an “appalling incident” which was “deeply concerning”, while King Charles said he was “truly appalled and shocked”.
Knife crime in England and Wales has risen 87 per cent over the past decade, with 54,587 offences last year alone, a two per cent rise from 2023 and among the highest rates in Europe, according to figures from Britain’s interior ministry.
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