Key Points
- Four men were stabbed in Covent Garden, central London, on Wednesday afternoon.
- Police said the men, aged 34, 39, 42 and 52, were found with stab wounds on Endell Street.
- A 47-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault.
- The Metropolitan Police said the woman remains in custody.
- The victims were taken to a major trauma centre, and their injuries have not yet been fully updated.
- Police said the incident is believed to be mental health-related.
- A pair of scissors was recovered at the scene.
- London Ambulance Service said it treated four patients and took them by road to hospital as a priority.
Wales Stabbing (Wales Times) August 5, 2026 – Four men were stabbed in central London on Wednesday afternoon and a 47-year-old woman was arrested after the incident on Endell Street, police said.
As reported by Reuters, the Metropolitan Police said the stabbing took place in Covent Garden, a busy area popular with tourists, and that the four victims were taken to a nearby trauma centre after being treated at the scene. The force later said the woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault, while police remained in the area with a cordon in place.
Who was arrested?
According to the BBC, the arrested woman is 47 years old, and the four men injured were aged 34, 39, 42 and 52. The BBC reported that the London Ambulance Service was called around 12:30 BST to Endell Street and transported the patients to hospital after giving them priority treatment at the scene.
The Metropolitan Police said the woman was taken into custody and remains there. Reuters reported that the woman was in her 40s and that police were treating the case as a suspected mental health-related incident.
What did police and ambulance crews say?
As reported by PA and carried by several outlets, police were called to Endell Street at around 12.27pm, with the ambulance service arriving soon after. The London Ambulance Service said it sent an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and London’s Air Ambulance to the scene.
The service said four patients were treated at the scene and taken to a major trauma centre by road as a priority. BBC reporting said officers and paramedics assessed the victims before they were transported to hospital, while the force said it was awaiting an update on their injuries.
What was found at the scene?
The Metropolitan Police said a pair of scissors was recovered at the scene, and that the incident is believed to be mental health-related. LBC reported that a witness believed a woman had stabbed the men with scissors, though that account has not been formally established by police.
Reuters also reported that Covent Garden is a popular tourist area, underscoring why the incident drew a large emergency response and a police cordon. Officers remained at the scene after the attack, with surrounding streets affected by the cordon.
How have reports varied?
Early reporting said three people had been stabbed, but the Metropolitan Police later confirmed that four men were found with stab wounds. The BBC and Reuters both updated the casualty count to four injured men, matching the police statement.
Some live updates also described the incident differently at first, reflecting the fast-moving nature of breaking news coverage. The confirmed details now centre on four injured men, a 47-year-old woman arrested, and ongoing police inquiries.
What happened next?
Police said they remain in the area and that a scene is in place on Endell Street and the surrounding streets in Covent Garden. The investigation is ongoing, and no further update on the condition of the victims had been issued in the early reports.
Background of the development
Covent Garden is one of central London’s best-known visitor districts, which is why incidents there often attract rapid attention from emergency services and the public. Endell Street has been the focus of a major police and ambulance response as authorities continue to piece together the circumstances of the stabbing.
The incident also comes amid routine concerns about knife crime and public safety in busy city-centre areas, where quick emergency response and crowd control are essential in limiting further risk. In this case, police have said the matter may involve mental health factors, which can affect how investigations are handled and what support is needed alongside criminal enquiries.
Prediction
For visitors, workers and businesses in Covent Garden, the immediate effect is likely to be a heightened police presence and possible disruption around Endell Street until the scene is cleared. For the wider public, the case may also prompt renewed discussion about safety in crowded tourist areas and the speed of response when serious incidents unfold.
If police later confirm more about the suspect’s condition or the victims’ injuries, the tone of the story could shift from a brief crime report to a broader public safety and mental health case. For now, the likely short-term impact is continued local disruption and close public attention as investigators wait for medical updates.
