Multiple people stabbed in Covent Garden

A woman has been arrested after four men were stabbed in Covent Garden this afternoon, with police confirming the incident took place on Endell Street in central London. The Metropolitan Police were called at 12.27pm on Wednesday and found four men aged 34, 39, 42 and 52 with stab wounds. All four were taken to a major trauma centre for treatment.

A 47-year-old woman was detained on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault. She remains in custody. Officers have described the event as a mental health-related incident, with a pair of scissors recovered at the scene. Initial reports mentioned three victims before police updated the figure to four.

The response involved London's Air Ambulance, which landed in Trafalgar Square, and a large cordon stretching from High Holborn to the St Mungo's homeless centre on Endell Street. Restaurants near Long Acre continued trading while officers spoke to people entering the building.

The stabbing occurred in daylight in a bustling shopping and theatre district, where the sight of an air ambulance touching down in Trafalgar Square would have interrupted the usual flow of visitors and workers moving between market stalls and nearby venues.

What happened

The Metropolitan Police received the first reports of a stabbing at 12.27pm on Wednesday afternoon. Officers arrived alongside the London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance to find four men suffering stab wounds. Paramedics assessed the victims at the scene before transferring them to hospital as priority cases.

Police later confirmed the ages of the injured men as 34, 39, 42 and 52. An earlier statement had referred to three victims, but this was corrected once all four had been accounted for. The force has not yet released further details on the extent of their injuries.

A 47-year-old woman was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault. She was taken into custody, where she remains. Officers have not identified a motive beyond the understanding that the incident was connected to mental health.

During live incidents police casualty figures are frequently revised as officers and paramedics complete their initial sweep of the scene, with early counts often reflecting only those victims immediately visible before a fuller assessment confirms the total. A major trauma centre is a specialist hospital equipped for the most serious injuries, and patients are routinely conveyed there by road as priority cases when the landing zone for an air ambulance is constrained or when rapid ground transfer allows faster access to operating theatres than a secondary flight.

'Random people walking by'

Matt Bishop, 42, who works at a consultancy firm beside the cordon, described seeing a woman in a stand-off with three police officers. He said she was waving a weapon and appeared incoherent in her shouting. Bishop noted that the woman looked quite old with short hair and ran towards the crossroads after the confrontation.

"There was a bit of a stand-off with three police officers. She didn't seem to be particularly coherent. She was pretty incoherent in what she was shouting, the officer was asking what language she was shouting," Bishop told reporters.

Arjan Gjorga, who manages a fish and chip shop on Endell Street, said the victims appeared to be random people who were simply walking by. His account aligns with the understanding that the four men had no prior connection to the woman involved.

When victims appear to have no prior link to the suspect the investigation shifts from targeted enquiries to a broader examination of witness movements and CCTV footage across the surrounding streets. Descriptions of the woman as incoherent, together with the officer's question about the language she was using, are recognised early markers that the event may stem from an acute mental health crisis rather than a premeditated assault.

Air ambulance and police cordon

London's Air Ambulance landed in the middle of busy Trafalgar Square to reach the scene quickly. The London Ambulance Service dispatched an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer in addition to the air ambulance team.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We were called at 12:29pm today (5 August) to reports of a stabbing on Endell Street, WC2H. We sent an ambulance crew, paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer. We also dispatched London's Air Ambulance. We treated four patients at the scene and took them all to a major trauma centre as a priority by road."

A large police cordon was established from High Holborn to the St Mungo's homeless centre in Endell Street. Officers remained in the area to speak with people before they entered the building. Restaurants towards Long Acre continued to operate despite the restrictions nearby.

Trafalgar Square offers one of the few sufficiently open spaces near Covent Garden for a helicopter landing, allowing the crew to reach the scene on foot while the fast response car and incident response officer provide additional clinical leadership and logistical coordination at a major trauma callout. In central London cordons are drawn to protect evidence and public safety while officers work to keep adjacent businesses functioning where risk assessments permit continued access.

Investigation under way

Police have indicated that the stabbing was a mental health-related incident. A pair of scissors was recovered at the scene. The Metropolitan Police have not confirmed any further motive at this stage.

A Met Police spokesperson said: "At around 12:27hrs on Wednesday, 5 August, police were called to reports of stabbing on Endell Street, Covent Garden. Officers attended alongside the London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance. Four men – aged 34, 39, 42, and 52 - were found with stab wounds and assessed at the scene by paramedics. They have since been taken to hospital and we await an update on their injuries. A 47-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault. She was taken to custody where she remains. Police remain in the area, with a scene in place on Endell Street and the surrounding areas in Covent Garden."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting CAD3449/05AUG. The scene remains in place while officers continue their inquiries.

Next steps typically include detailed scene examination, a systematic trawl of nearby CCTV, and structured witness interviews, supported by the public appeal that carries the CAD reference number for efficient call handling. A suspect held on suspicion of assault and possession of an offensive weapon will be processed through custody procedures while officers await clinical updates on the victims before deciding on any further charges.

Context

Covent Garden remains one of central London's most visited districts, drawing tourists, theatre-goers and diners throughout the day. Endell Street runs through the heart of the area near Seven Dials, where the incident unfolded in daylight on a summer Wednesday afternoon.

The presence of a large cordon and the landing of London's Air Ambulance in Trafalgar Square underline the scale of the emergency response in a location that usually sees constant footfall. St Mungo's, the homelessness charity with a centre on Endell Street, sits within the restricted zone.

The woman remains in custody while the four men receive treatment. Police continue to gather witness accounts and await updates on the victims' conditions. The incident has left the surrounding streets under active police management as the investigation proceeds.

Violence in busy daytime public spaces in central London continues to generate particular public concern because it interrupts the ordinary rhythm of theatres, restaurants and market stalls around Seven Dials and Endell Street. The presence of the St Mungo's centre within the cordon also highlights the area's layered social character, where support services operate alongside the constant movement of visitors and workers.

This article was produced with AI-assisted research and editorial support. Reporting is based on sources cited in the article.