Two police officers were stabbed in Leicester Square in the early hours of this morning – with one said to have been seriously injured.
The Metropolitan Police said two male officers were attacked in the Haymarket area of the city. Both were injured and are being treated in hospital.
It comes as the Queen’s lying-in-state has been opened to the public bringing hundreds of thousands of mourners to the capital to pay their respects. Transport systems across the country have seen “unprecedented demand” due to the influx as 10,000 police officers have been deployed to ensure the safe passage of visitors.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said in a statement: “On Friday, 16 September at around 6am police encountered a male with a knife in the area of Leicester Square.
“Two officers received stab wounds and are currently being treated in hospital. We await further updates on their conditions.
“Taser was deployed and a male was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker. He was taken to a hospital for treatment where he remains at this time.
“Enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing.”
The Haymarket area where the officers were stabbed is only minutes away from where visitors are queuing for hours to see the Queen’s coffin. The force is overseeing the event codenamed Operation Feather part of the larger Operation London Bridge which spells out all of the events that follow the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The new boss of the Metropolitan Police says preparations for the Queen’s lying in state present a “massive challenge”.
Sir Mark Rowley said the operation, which will involve thousands of officers, was something “we have been preparing for many, many years” as he started work as Commissioner of Britain’s biggest police force on Monday.
A meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency planning committee was told that the number of people expected to visit the capital was estimated to total between 750,000 and a million, according to reports.
For visitors wishing to enter Westminster Hall airport-style security is in place in addition to tight restrictions on what can be brought in including bans on camping equipment, large bags, banners or placards and any sharp objects.
In a bid to prevent overcrowding in the capital, three central London Tube stations will be closed on the morning of the Queen’s funeral.
Transport for London (TfL) announced that passengers will be prevented from starting or ending journeys at Westminster, St James’s Park and Hyde Park Corner stations for “most of the morning” on Monday.
The transport body said it “will aim to reopen stations” after the funeral at Westminster Abbey – which will be at around noon – to help people leaving the Westminster area.
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Kaynak: briturkish.com