Four women have been stabbed in an apparently unprovoked mid-morning knife rampage in west London.
Witnesses reported a man, who appeared to be “out of it”, running through a car park and singling out women during a stabbing spree.
Three women were attacked in a car park next to a branch of Sainsbury’s in Hampton, while another woman was later found with life threatening injuries in a nearby property.
Police used a taser to corner a 60-year-old man at the scene, who was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
A member of staff at the nearby Hampton Pub said: "It's so awful. He only went for the women.
"The man ran through and started attacking them. It didn't seem like they knew him it was completely unprovoked.
"One lady is in very bad condition, she had to be air-ambulanced out.
"If it had been 10 or 20 minutes earlier there would have been children there because it's right outside a primary school.
"He was caught very quickly just outside the car park.
"He appeared to be out of it, on drugs or crazy. He must have been very angry to go out and unprovokedly stab those women.
"The woman who was badly stabbing in the back made it up to the police station and raised the alarm.
"She is well-known locally and always goes shopping there all the time."
The Met said police were called at around 10.35am to The Avenue in Hampton after reports of a man in possession of a knife.
The spokesman said: "Officers attended and discovered three women suffering from knife wounds.
"The London Ambulance Service also attended and are providing treatment to the women.
"Their conditions are not thought to be life-threatening or changing at this time.
"A fourth woman who had also suffered knife wounds was subsequently located at a nearby property.
"She has been taken to hospital where her condition at this stage is thought to be life-threatening."
A Met Police spokesman said: "A taser was deployed during his arrest; but it was not discharged.
"At this early stage, the incident is not believed to be terror-related."
