London Police on Tuesday said they were investigating the fifth stabbing in four days in the same north London district as authorities try to contain a surge in knife crime in Britain.
Four victims were stabbed from behind over the weekend in the Edmonton area of northwest London, and detectives said they believed it was not linked to terrorism and a single suspect was involved.
Two men were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and remain in custody.
Police, in the fifth attack, said a man in his 30s was found with stab injuries and was in a life-threatening condition in hospital.
A man in his 30s was later arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and detectives said they were working to see if the incident was linked to the weekend’s stabbings.
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“I am aware that events from the weekend have caused a huge amount of worry and concern among the community and this incident will cause further alarm.
`While at this stage the incident has not yet been formally linked, the location and manner of this attack will be of concern to the public,’’ Detective Superintendent Luke Marks said.
On Monday, Prime Minister Theresa May held a special meeting to discuss tackling Britain’s soaring knife crime.
Official statistics showed in March that there were 285 fatal stabbings in England and Wales in 2018, the highest level since records began over 70 years ago.
Police say the surge in knife crime in a country where guns are hard to obtain has been driven by several factors, including rivalries between drug gangs, cuts to youth services and provocations on social media. (Reuters/NAN)