Four men remain in hospital after being injured in a mass stabbing at a pub in north-east London on Monday.
The knife attack, which saw three victims found inside The Duke pub in Wood Street, Walthamstow happened about 8.15pm on Monday.
The fourth victim was found nearby on Shernhall Street with stab wounds to his neck, witnesses said.
As of Wednesday morning no arrests had been made.
One of the men, aged 22, was left fighting for his life in hospital after the attack, but police confirmed on Wednesday his condition was no longer described as life-threatening.
Police were called to reports of an attack involving a machete at the pub, which is also known as The Duke’s Head, with an air ambulance scrambled to the scene.
Scotland Yard said they do not believe the incident was gang related.
The victims - aged 22, 27, 31 and 42 - were taken to an east London hospital.
The pub underwent a makeover several years ago in a bid to attract the growing number of affluent families attracted to Walthamstow and the Wood Street area. It is known locally for its food and hipster ambience.
The worst injured man staggered through an alleyway away from the attackers still clutching his neck. He collapsed by a nearby off licence where the shopkeeper got out his first aid kit and a customer held bandages to keep pressure on his wound.
A witness called Martin told the Standard: “He didn’t really talk. We tried to keep him quiet and not moving much because he was bleeding from the neck.
“We stopped the blood and got him into the ambulance and they took care of him. I hope he will be fine.
“It’s a shock to see all this in an area where you live and come to shop.”
A taxi call operator opposite said he heard an argument break out in the street from the pub. He said: “There was a woman shouting I had a look there were a couple of girls and some boys standing outside. Then they went back inside. Minutes later all the police started to come in.”
One businessman, who gave his name as Oz, 39, and runs a blinds business opposite the “family-orientated” pub, told the PA news agency: “By the time I got here all the wounded had been taken to hospital already.
“The attackers are definitely people that are not part of our local community.”
He added that despite becoming more gentrified in the last decade, drug use, crime and gangs remain an issue in the area.
“Gangs are always going to be an issue here because there is so much money to be earned,” he said.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson told the Standard: “We sent a number of resources to the scene including four ambulance crews, members of our Tactical Response Unit, a member of our Motorcycle Response Unit and a Community First Responder. We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance.
“We treated four people at the scene. We took them all to a major trauma centre, two of them as a priority.”
Farhan Ahmed, manager of Wood Street Launderette and Dry Cleaning, told the Standard: “The commotion did all kick off from The Duke from what I’ve heard, then they kind of ran down the road to Shernall Street.
“The police came into the pub in those blue kits they wear.
“I came here at 6am and they were putting blue [tape] around. They’ve just left the scene now and have opened the roads,” he added, around 1.20pm.
The owner of a nearby restaurant reported seeing “four or five small ambulance cars, two big ambulances, and five or six police cars” at the scene on Monday night.
A witness inside the pub with his wife told MyLondon “everyone [was] grabbing each other and falling over” and “[there were] pool balls going everywhere.”
He added: “Someone got hit in the body with a chair and the leg broke. There were pool balls going everywhere at one point. There was lots of wood being broken. People were trying to rip each other apart.”
“I grabbed a chair and stood in front of the table ready in case I had to clobber them but thankfully it was not needed.”
Detective Inspector Grant Stevens, who is leading the police investigation into the stabbing, said: “We are in the early stages of piecing together what happened last night and would like to hear from anyone who was inside the pub and witnessed the attack.
Walthamstow this is update I have posted on Facebook about what happened in Wood Street. I know it’s very upsetting and so want to ensure you have accurate information on events. pic.twitter.com/6vKeMhVOEV
— stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) February 14, 2023
“Whilst news of this kind is concerning, I would like to reassure the community that there is nothing to suggest any wider risk to the public. Officers will remain in the area throughout the day and I would encourage anyone with concerns to speak with them.”
Cllr Khevyn Limbajee, Waltham Forest Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said he was “shocked and saddened” by the incident.
“I join the community in sending my sympathies to the families of the victims and I am hoping for a swift and full recovery for them all,” he said in a statement.
“Following this incident, we are working closely with our police partners to carry out extra patrols in the area and give reassurance to residents. We understand that incidents like these will be a cause for concern – do not hesitate to speak with the officers on patrol if you need to talk about community safety in your area.
“If you have any information about this incident, please do not stay silent. Help us keep your community safe.”
Officers from the Met’s local policing team in Waltham Forest are investigating the incident and are appealing for the public’s help.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 6988/13Feb. To remain anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
