British Transport Police have announced there is currently “nothing to suggest” the Huntingdon train stabbings were a terrorist incident.
Police Superintendent John Loveless announced the update at a press conference, where he confirmed two men, a 32-year-old black British national and a 35-year-old male British national of Caribbean descent, had been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Speaking at the press conference on Sunday morning, Superintendent Loveless said: “At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident.
“This is a British Transport Police investigation and we continue to work to establish at pace the full circumstances and the motivations that have led to this incident.”
The force confirmed that two of the 10 injured remain in a life-threatening condition, with four having been discharged.
On the night of Saturday, November 1, it is believed a man with a large knife went on a bloody rampage through the high-speed LNER train after it left Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire.
Armed police were deployed to Huntingdon station, where the train had stopped, on Saturday evening after reports that passengers were attacked.
Superintendent Loveless confirmed it had taken officers eight minutes to respond.
Police have said there is ‘nothing to suggest’ the Huntingdon stabbing is terror-related
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The senior officer said: “It’s a shocking incident and first and foremost, my thoughts are with the family and friends those who have been affected and those who are injured.
“Approximately 7.42pm yesterday evening, there were calls to the police service in relation to multiple stabbings which took place on board a train service.”He added:
“The train departed Doncaster at 6.25pm, and was en route to London King’s Cross Station.
“Officers immediately attended Huntingdon station alongside paramedics, where armed police officers from Cambridgeshire police boarded the train and arrested two people within eight minutes of the 999 call being made.
Police Superintendent John Loveless shared updates on the Huntingdon incident
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GB News“Two men were brought into police custody, where they remain this morning.
“I can tell you that these are: the first male, a 32-year-old male, a black British national and a 35-year-old man, a British national of Caribbean descent, they were both arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
“As stated, they remain this morning in separate police stations for questioning.”
Both men arrested in connection with the incident remain in police custody, and witnesses described police shooting a man with a Taser.
The Superintendent added that counter-terrorism police had initially supported the operation, but the incident was now not being treated as terrorism-related.
He said: “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.
“This is a British Transport Police investigation, and we continue to work to establish at pace, the full circumstances and the motivations that have led to this incident.
“At this early stage, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the cause of this incident,” he added.