London bloodbath: woman knifed in random westminster street attack

The Metropolitan Police has released CCTV footage showing a man they want to speak to in connection with the attack, which took place on Sunday, October 28, at around 8.45pm. It shows him

stepping up behind the victim, a woman in her 20s, while she searches for something in a bag outside a flat in Craven Terrace. The suspect appears behind the woman and then reaches out with

his left hand, slashing her across the bottom with a sharp object. The victim spins around and grabs the injured area of her body, by which time the suspect had casually fled the scene.

Police said the assault caused a “superficial wound” which required medical attention at a nearby hospital. The suspect is believed to be medium-to-tall build, and was wearing a large jacket

and a cap at the time of the assault. They believe it was a random attack and are urging anyone who can identify the man in the CCTV footage to contact them. Detective Constable Yousuf

Bhamjee, from Westminster CID, said: "This assault has had a significant impact on the victim. “I am appealing for anyone with information to get in touch with us on 020 7321

7620." The assault comes as Theresa May is warned the police are in danger of “losing control” of London’s streets as they struggle to cope with the spike in violent crime this year. In

a scathing attack on the Prime Minister, John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, accused the government of showing “contempt” for the police over public safety

concerns. Speaking to Express.co.uk, he demanded an immediate cash injection to recruit thousands of more officers, and wants stop and search powers to be stepped up, with tougher penalties

imposed for knife offences. Mr Apter said: “We are at real risk of losing control of the streets. That is not a good place for this country to be. I think we should flood the streets with

police officers. “There should be a visible deterrent. The government gives us the powers then they give us a slap for using them. “The Prime Minister when she was Home Secretary famously

told us to withdraw from stop and search, which has led to the crisis that we see on our streets. “I know stop and search is contentious, but if it is used disproportionately and

inappropriately there are enough bodies scrutinising policing that we will be rightly held to account. “Far too many young people are dying because the politicians are too frightened to

upset people by allowing the police to do what they do.” Last month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released damning figures for knife crime in London, which are at their highest

levels since records began. It revealed for the year to June 2018, police recorded a total of 14,987 knife crimes - representing a 15 percent rise on the comparable figure 12 months ago.

This includes 91 fatal stabbings, 170 rapes or sexual assaults using a blade and 8,363 knife-poling robberies. There were also 5,570 knife crimes which either resulted in injury or involved

an attempt to inflict serious harm on the victim.