Closing summary
The Guardian’s live coverage of the Cambridgeshire train stabbing incident is coming to a close.
Here’s a recap of everything we know so far:
A “heroic” rail staff member who intervened in the mass stabbing to save the lives train passengers suffered life threatening injuries, police said.
A 32-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the Huntingdon train knife attack is now being treated as the only suspect, British Transport Police (BTP) said. The man, from Peterborough, boarded the train at Peterborough station.
Another man, a 35-year-old from London, has been released with no further action, BTP said in a statement. The force said police have established that he was not involved with the attack.
British Transport Police said eleven people were treated in hospital, and after nine originally had life-threatening injuries, five have now been discharged.
Commenting on whether the incident was terrorism, Supt John Loveless told reporters this morning: “British Transport Police declared a major incident yesterday, and counter-terrorism policing were initially supporting our investigation. However, at this stage, there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident.”
Police initially declared “Plato”, the national codeword used by police and emergency services when responding to a “marauding terror attack”, before the declaration was later rescinded.
The British defence secretary, John Healey, described it as an “isolated attack” but warned we are in a “new era of threat”.
King Charles said he was “appalled” and “shocked” by the “dreadful” knife attack. “My wife and I were truly appalled and shocked to hear of the dreadful knife attack that took place on board a train in Cambridgeshire last night. Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with all those affected, and their loved ones.”
The attack took place on the 6.25pm LNER train from Doncaster to London King’s Cross yesterday evening. British Transport Police say they were called to reports of multiple stabbings at 7.42pm on Saturday evening. Passengers have said the attack started about 10 minutes after the train left Peterborough station.
Read the Guardian’s latest report on the incident:
Updated
PA carrying some more quotes from Nigel Roebuck, full-time organiser in the north-east of England for the train drivers’ union Aslef and lead officer with LNER:
“The driver did everything he was trained to do, at the right time and in the right way.
“He brought the train into a station where passengers could disembark safely and where police, fire and rescue, and ambulance crew could get on to the train and attend to the victims and, we believe, catch the culprit.
“He showed real courage, real dedication, and real determination in the most difficult of circumstances. Our thoughts tonight are with his colleague who is still in intensive care.”
