As it happened: Streatham 'terrorist-related' incident

EPACopyright: EPA

It is eerily quiet on Streatham Hill now.

What would usually be a busy road has been transformed into a hub for the media from all over the world.

Journalists from the United States, Russia, Italy and Ireland have replaced locals going about their business.

Most people cannot believe this has happened in Streatham.

On the other side of the police cordon, forensic officers are searching a car left abandoned at the scene.

PA MediaCopyright: PA Media

An eyewitness has told BBC News that she was walking in the Streatham area towards a pub when she was approached by another woman "in distress".

Emma, from Streatham, said: "She was shouting her head off saying 'don’t go any further, he has stabbed this woman with a knife, he stabbed her in the back.'

"We then saw a woman half sitting, half lying on the floor with people around her but no ambulances or anything.

"About 30 seconds before that a dark car sped past us and we looked ahead up the road realising that it was police in plain clothes, which the woman was pointing to and shouting ‘that’s the police they’ve shot the guy'."

She added: "The distressed woman who stopped us kept pointing at that injured lady and saying 'he came in the shop, grabbed a knife, pulled out a knife and walked out on the street and just stabbed that lady'."

The British Red Cross has said it is prepared to offer funding to those who have been affected by the attack in Streatham this afternoon.

After the Manchester Arena, Westminster and London Bridge attacks in 2017, the British Red Cross set up the UK Solidarity Fund.

A spokeswoman for the charity said: "Our sympathies are with those affected by this afternoon's incident in Streatham.

"We are in communication with the authorities leading the response and are closely monitoring the situation.

"We are ready to make the UK Solidarity Fund available to those affected by the attack."

Counter-extremism analyst Liam Duffy says it looks like the attacker could have been wearing a fake explosive device similar to one used in the 2019 London Bridge attack.

"Just in the last couple of years we have seen four incidents where attackers have worn fake suicide vests.

"By wearing a fake suicide vest, the attacker may be trying to achieve what they call martyrdom... it ensures the police can't take any chance - they have to shoot on sight.

"If you believe a certain ideology that is preferable to being captured.

"Or it means they can't get hold of materials for a real suicide vest."

David Videcette, a former counter-terrorism officer who investigated the 7/7 attacks in London, has tweeted that he thinks "the types of unmarked police vehicles in the street" and "the way the plain clothes officers are dressed" indicates that it may have been "an armed surveillance team on a pre-planned op".

BBCCopyright: BBC

Streatham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy tells BBC News her "prayers and thoughts go out to those who are injured - and those who witnessed it".

"Two individuals have been stabbed - one is quite seriously unwell.

"The police and emergency services have been fantastic - they got here quite quickly, taking down the perpetrator who they had been watching for some time.

"It is scary, I feel that fear, but Streatham is a very resilient community and we'll be fine."

Peter Power, a former police officer who now works at Crisis Management Specialists, tells BBC News that armed response vehicles - such as the ones that were on the scene in Streatham - usually contain three heavily-armed officers.

"Those vehicles are constantly on the move, although in central London they do have a certain number of posts where they are parked and ready to go if and when they are called.

"With a bit of luck those vehicles could get from central London to Streatham in five or 10 minutes.

"The presence of plain-clothed officers getting involved indicates an investigation is ongoing."

• Gunshots were heard just after 14:00 GMT on Streatham High Road
• The Met Police said a man who was shot by armed officers died from his injuries
• Police declared the incident "terrorist-related”, and later said it had been "fully contained"
• Three people are believed to have been injured in stabbings. Police said they were awaiting updates on their condition
• London Ambulance Service said it had treated a number of people at the scene
• Many videos have been posted of the scene on social media. One recording - verified by the BBC - shows a man lying on the ground with at least three police officers holding firearms pointed in his direction
• Reports suggest a man went into a shop on the busy high street with a knife. It appears the man then left the shop and stabbed a woman outside
• A large police cordon stretches from Streatham Hill station and there is a heavy police presence

Here is a picture of the police car that reportedly crashed nearby around the time of the incident.

A witness said he thought officers were chasing someone as he saw another police car at the same time drive on.

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Acting Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has praised the emergency services and first responders for demonstrating "enormous courage and professionalism in the face of terrible circumstances - their bravery and dedication is remarkable.

"My heartfelt thanks goes to all those working at the scene and elsewhere to keep people safe.

"This serves to remind us that we cannot take our security for granted. We must remember the vital work of police officers and security services to keep us safe. "Those who seek to divide us through terror will never succeed."

Dave Chawner, an author and comedian, tweeted that he had witnessed someone being stabbed in Streatham.

He said he stayed with the victim for 30 minutes before an ambulance arrived, adding that he "wasn't having a go at anyone but that's not right".

The victims appear to have been selected at random - we do not know why the attacker went to this street on a Sunday afternoon.

Presumably because it would have been busy - but it is not a high profile target like the House of Commons.

Possibly the perpetrator thought there would be less of a police presence.