Police need to carry guns in the UK, says ex-counter terrorism chief following Hainault sword attack

30 April 2024, 18:54 | Updated: 1 May 2024, 07:18

A former counter-terror chief has told LBC News today's sword attack in north-east London shows we should look at arming all police officers.

A 14-year-old boy has died and four others - including two Metropolitan Police officers - were injured in the attack in Hainault this morning.

The officers suffered stab wounds, the force confirmed.

A 36-year-old man has been arrested and is currently in hospital. Police are not looking for anyone else.

Chris Phillips says change should be considered as the level of knife and violence crime are "greater now".

Police need to carry guns in the UK, says ex-counter terrorism chief

"Maybe it's coming to the time now where we need to think about arming police officers because were asking them to do the impossible nowadays with the amount of v on our streets," he told LBC on Tuesday.

He added forces should start thinking about moving towards firearms.

The nature of this attack and the sheer number of knife across our capital city means that the police are being asked to do an impossible job".

Hainault attack LIVE: Boy, 14, dies after being attacked in sword rampage - as man, 36 arrested

Footage shows arrest of Hainault suspect

Mr Phillips added he has always been against routine arming of the police.

"But we are coming to the stage where there aren't enough police officers on our streets to respond properly to the amount of incidents they have to face, the levels of violence are greater now than they've been before and I don't think they can rely anymore on the public necessarily being at their back whent they have problems."

Read more: Husband jailed for stabbing bride, 19 to death in attack at their south London home

Police rushed to the scene shortly before 7am on Tuesday morning after a car drove into a house in the Thurlow Gardens area, near Hainault Tube station, Redbridge.

Multiple were then attacked, including those in the residential area, members of the public and two police officers. All five people have been taken to hospital.

Footage posted to social media shows a man wielding a sword threatening officers and walking around a residential close.

Read more: Hospital pickaxe attacker who yelled 'it's your lucky day' as he attempted to murder two colleagues jailed