Armed police have been deployed to London Heathrow, with the Met Police confirming they had responded to an incident involving the spraying of a “form of pepper spray by a group of men” on “a number of people” at the busy travel hub.
In a statement, the force said a man has been arrested and inquiries into further suspects were ongoing.
The statement read: “Police are in attendance at Heathrow Airport while we investigate the circumstances around the assault of a number of people this morning.
“Officers were called at 08:11hrs to a multi-storey car park at Terminal 3 following reports of multiple people being assaulted.
“A number of people were sprayed with what is believed to be a form of pepper spray by a group of men who then left the scene.
“Armed response officers attended and arrested one man on suspicion of assault. He remains in custody and enquiries continue to trace further suspects.
“London Ambulance Service attended and the victims were taken to hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening,” the statement continued.
Commander Peter Stevens said: “At this stage, we believe the incident involved a group of people known to each other, with an argument escalating and resulting in a number of people being injured.“
Our officers responded quickly and there will be an increased police presence at Heathrow Airport throughout the morning, to continue enquiries and ensure the safety of those in the area.
“We are not treating this incident as terrorism. I understand the public’s concerns and would like to thank those in the area for their cooperation this morning,” he added.
In a statement, Heathrow said: “Our teams are currently responding to an incident involving the emergency services in the Terminal 3 multi-storey car park.
“Passengers are advised to allow extra time when travelling to the airport and to check with their airline for any queries,” they added.
In footage shared online, heavily armed police officers could be seen in the car park.
An eyewitness told GB News that they had seen “at least half a dozen” emergency vehicles “racing down the M4 to the airport”.
Routes currently affected by the incident include the 105, 111, 278, 285, SL9, A10, SL7 and U3.