The horrific Huntingdon stabbing is a “sad indictment of our society” as such incidents increasingly become “normalised” in Britain, a security expert told GB News.
The former Head of National Counter Terrorism Security Office Chris Phillips reacted to the knife attack which took place aboard a train from Doncaster to London King’s Cross.
It is believed a man with a large knife went on a bloody rampage through the high-speed train after it departed Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire.
The train stopped at the Cambridgeshire station, where armed police were deployed on Saturday evening.
Mr Phillips took aim at the ‘normalisation’ of such attacks
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GB NEWS
In the wake of the vicious attack, British Transport Police (BTP) revealed that 10 people were taken to hospital after the attack, nine of whom sustained life-threatening injuries.
Now, Mr Phillips has given his grim verdict on the state of Britain after the gruesome attack, saying: “It’s just becoming more and more normalised, this kind of incident, which is a sad indictment on our society, to be quite honest.
“Our society is incredibly safe. However, we are getting far more of these types of incidents. And yes, we don’t know what the motivation is at the moment.”
As of Sunday morning, two victims continue to fight for their lives. The police force confirmed that the event is not being treated as terror-related.
On Sunday morning, British Transport Police confirmed that two British nationals have been arrested, before confirming that there would be a “high visibility of police” in the area.
The security expert continued: “We are getting more and more of these types of serious incidents using knives, and that’s a big concern.”
Admitting that he does not wish to be “unkind” to the BTP, lauding them as “brave and heroic people”, Andrew said that he “couldn’t remember the last time [he] saw a BTP officer on trains”.
He further lamented over the scarcity of police numbers, adding that it has had a negative impact on police visibility.
In agreement, Mr Phillips told GB News his “biggest concern” as crime skyrockets across Britain, saying: “The police have been hollowed out to such an extent that there are just not enough of them available to give a high visibility policing consistently.
“They can do it for short periods of time, but they can’t do it consistently.”
He further added that the public want “bobbies on the beat”, scoffing: “And what have we got?
“We’ve ended up with a fire brigade style of policing, which really no one ever asked for.”
Andrew added: “What we do know of the little we know about last night is that the police were there very, very quickly and tackled the nightmare.”
The superintendent gave an update on the vile attack this morning
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GB NEWS
Police, over the years, have been “starved of funding and resources for years, which has meant that we don’t have the sort of policing that we’ve always wanted”, Mr Phillips said.
Earlier this year in April, the Prime Minister announced plans in a bid to restore nationwide confidence in policing and deliver security for “working people”.
Such measures include named and contactable officers for every community, as well as guaranteed police patrols in busy areas during busy times.
The Government’s “Plan for Change and Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee” aimed to put 13,000 more neighbourhood officers, jumping more than 50 per cent across Britain.
The move was designed to end years of the “postcode lottery”, allowing everyone across the country to be entitled to the same service from the police, regardless of geography.