Tube attack witness feared he would be ‘hacked to death underground’

A witness has described the “utterly terrifying” moment he saw a man attacking a Tube passenger with a “foot-long machete” on the Jubilee Line.

British Transport Police (BTP) said they attended reports of a stabbing at Green Park underground station in central London at 6.47pm on Friday, and the victim is in a stable condition in hospital.

A passenger in his 30s, who was among those trapped in a carriage with the attacker, said he feared he would be “hacked to death underground”.

The witness, who did not want to be named, said: “All of a sudden there was a huge commotion.

“A man stood in the middle of the carriage and brandished a foot-long black machete.

“People started screaming, there was a stampede to the front carriage – people got trampled on and pushed into the plastic and stuff.”

The witness said he moved into the next carriage away from the attacker, adding that the victim had a wound on his head which he described as “a deep gash meaning the side of his head was hanging off”.

He added that the driver was unaware of anything happening for 10 minutes because the intercom was not working, and passengers were left defenceless on the moving Tube as the attacker “taunted” them.

“The attacker went back down the train. We heard screaming but we don’t know what happened,” he said.

“He then came back and stood at the opposite end of the carriage taunting us and making out he was going to break down the door of the carriage.

“It was completely and utterly terrifying. For about 10 minutes I genuinely thought I would be hacked to death underground.

“However, people showed compassion and care to each other – people held other’s hands, and a teenage boy saved his mum from being trampled.”

The witness said the Tube train eventually stopped and armed police arrested the attacker, who did not resist them.

BTP said a man has been arrested on suspicion of inflicting grievous bodily harm, and that Green Park station has been closed.

Paramedics also attended the scene and took the victim to a nearby hospital.