The ‘Edmonton knifeman’ is believed to have struck again after a man was stabbed in the early hours of this morning – one street away from the scene of one of the other four attacks.
The victim, believed to be in his thirties, was walking with a friend in Fairfield Road, Edmonton just after 5am today when he was attacked.
Emergency services were scrambled to nearby Aberdeen Road where they found him suffering ‘life-threatening’ injuries. He is currently in hospital in a ‘critical but stable condition’. His friend was unharmed.
It comes after four people were ‘attacked at random’ by a knifeman on a 14-hour rampage in the same area of north London over the weekend.
Three men aged between 23 and 52 and a 45-year-old woman were stabbed as they walked alone in Edmonton on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
The female victim, who is still fighting for her life in hospital, was attacked in Aberdeen Road – one street down from where today’s attack took place.
Two men arrested for GBH in connection with four of the stabbings are still in custody.
A fifth person has been stabbed in Edmonton, north London , as police still hunt the suspect responsible for four other knife attacks in the area
Pictures from Aberdeen Road in Edmonton, north London this morning show the road cordoned off by police after a fifth stabbing in the area in four days
Terrified locals spoke of the disturbing rate of near-fatal incidents in the area over the period of just four days.
Police have said the latest attack has ‘not yet been formally linked’ to the other four, but the culprit in all five is a tall, skinny black man wearing a hooded top.
The Metropolitan Police refused to comment when asked by MailOnline whether the men in custody will be released following the fifth stabbing.
Despite the two arrests, neighbours say they are still frightened to walk around the area alone.
Tarek Elmadkhoun, 32, said this morning: ‘It happened just outside my door. My wife heard some talking at 5am. She’s a bit worried.
‘I just moved here one week ago. To be honest it’s a bit worrying. My wife doesn’t speak English. She doesn’t know what to do.’
A large police cordon is in place blocking off several streets in the area, with uniformed officers standing guard.
Investigators in forensic suits are taking photographs of the area and looking for clues.
A black jacket, metallic blanket and medical equipment marks the scene in Aberdeen Road, where the victim was found.
On Lawrence Road, which is a short distance from the scene of the latest stabbing, there was also a police cordon guarded by uniformed officers while a police dog was led round an adjacent park.
It was unclear what the latest police activity related to.
Mike Kalongi, 28, who lives near the scene of the stabbing, said: ‘It’s getting a bit close.
‘It’s a bit scary. I usually go to the gym at night, but over the last few days I decided not to.
‘I’m going shopping. I usually have my headphones on but I want to stay aware and try not to be a victim.
‘It’s scary. It’s really scary.’
Connor McCoy, 21, who also lives close to today’s stabbing, said: ‘I presume it’s a follow-on from what happened prior.
‘I just hope they catch the guy and it gets prevented.’
Mr McCoy said he still feels safe in the area, but added: ‘I just hope that the slightly more defenceless people can feel safe living in this street.
‘I hope that something happens, something to deal with knife crime.’
Today’s stabbing follows a fatal knife attack in Kentish Town, north London at 8.30pm last night.
A murder probe has been launched after the victim, a man in his twenties, died in the 32nd homicide London has seen so far this year.
Schools in the area brought in extra security yesterday and police have urged anyone walking on their own through the area to take extra care.
Patrols were stepped up as detectives questioned the two men on suspicion of GBH after they issued a description of a suspect as a tall, slim black man, possibly wearing a hood.
But investigators are said to be unsure whether either of the suspects in custody is the knifeman and are therefore encouraging caution among those in the area.
One suspect was named locally as Mark Williams, who is in his 40s and was flagged as a risk to the local council after he was reported missing for a week.
A man in his thirties was stabbed in Aberdeen Road (pictured) in the early hours of this morning – after a woman, 45, was knifed there over the weekend
A neighbour told how she had asked the local housing officer from Enfield Council to check on Mr Williams on Friday afternoon because she was worried – having not seen him for a week.
Others said police had repeatedly been called to his address over anti-social behaviour and concerns over large groups gathering there.
Locals said he was known in the local area as Footsy and would often be seen walking around with a tennis racquet and a ball.
Yesterday morning, a Section 60 order was put in place, allowing officers to stop and search anyone in the area to prevent further violence. This lasted until 1.50am today.
A Met Police spokesman said this morning: ‘Officers were called at approximately 05:05hrs on Tuesday, 2 April to reports of a man stabbed in Aberdeen Road, N18.
‘Police and London Ambulance Service attended and found a man, believed to be aged in his 30s, suffering a stab injury.
‘He is reported to have been walking with a companion when he was attacked in Fairfield Road. The victim then made his way to Aberdeen Road, where he was found by police.
‘The other person did not suffer any injuries. The suspect is described as a tall, skinny black man, wearing a hoody.
‘The victim has been taken to an east London hospital; at this time his condition is being treated as life-threatening.’
A graphic shows where the five Edmonton stabbings took place over the period of just four days. Today’s attack was in Fairfield Road – one street down from Aberdeen Road – the scene of one of the other four attacks
Detective Superintendent Luke Marks, of the North Area Command Unit, added: ‘I am aware that events from the weekend have caused a huge amount of worry and concern among the community, and that this incident will cause further alarm.
‘While at this stage the incident has not yet been formally linked, the location and manner of this attack will be of concern to the public.
‘Our advice continues that the public remain vigilant, and to contact police regarding anyone acting suspiciously.
‘You will see additional uniformed patrols in the Edmonton area; if you have any concerns, please speak with my officers immediately.’
The first attack happened around 7pm on Saturday, with a 45-year-old woman stabbed in the back by a man.
She is the most seriously injured and police described her condition as ‘critical’.
The second assault happened shortly after midnight that night, with a 52-year-old man attacked on nearby Park Avenue. He was rushed to hospital but has since been discharged, police revealed yesterday morning.
The third attack happened near Seven Sisters tube station shortly before 4am on Sunday, with a 23-year-old man injured. He remains in a ‘critical but stable condition’.
The fourth attack happened around 9.45am on Sunday, with a 29-year-old male victim also stabbed in the back. He remains in hospital but doctors expect him to survive his injuries.
The fifth attack took place at 5.05am on Tuesday in Fairfield Road, Edmonton. The victim was a man in his thirties who was walking alone with a friend.
He stumbled to nearby Aberdeen Road where he was found by police. He is in hospital in a life-threatening condition. His friend was unharmed.
Crime scene: Plumber Roger Blackman (pictured right) helps police officers at the scene of the fourth Edmonton stabbing on Sunday
Forensics experts work at the scene of all four attacks yesterday as the investigation continues
A victim’s belongings and medical paraphernalia was strewn across the scene of another Edmonton stabbing in Fore Street
Local plumber Roger Blackman was first on the scene of the fourth stabbing and saw the attacker run off, leaving the victim with blood pouring from a wound.
Speaking to MailOnline on Sunday night, he said: ‘I heard a scream, I looked to my right, I saw a guy run off, then another scream. I saw blood pouring out of the back of him, I went to my van to get some towels to stem the flow.
‘I saw the guy turn around and run off, he was literally about 10-15 feet away from where I was. I was in the back of my van so I’m always aware of what’s going on around me.
‘The victim was screaming, oh my God, oh my God, why has this happened to me. There was blood pouring out of his gash. It was a great big gash, about a three-inch wound.
‘I was visiting my mum for mother’s day. You hear about it in the papers and now it’s happened in front of your mother’s house. It does make you wonder, it makes you think about going out.’
Residents of the area say they have been left scared to go out alone following the attacks. Part of the police cordon is pictured yesterday
Opening a summit in Downing Street yesterday morning, Prime Minister Theresa May said tackling knife violence is a ‘priority’ for ministers as well as families, young people and communities across the country.
More than 100 experts will meet this week after the Government unveiled new plans which could see frontline workers in schools, hospitals and police stations accountable for failing to ‘spot warning signs’ of violent crime among young people.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid floated the idea of a so-called ‘public health duty’ intended to help spot the warning signs that a young person could be in danger, ‘such as presenting in A&E with a suspicious injury, to worrying behaviour at school or issues at home’.
He stepped up stop and search operations following a week-long crackdown on knife crime known as Operation Sceptre.
Tesco locks knives in glass cabinets in bid to tackle bloodshed – amid fears slasher is on loose after five stabbings in four days in same part of London
By Amie Gordon for MailOnline
Tesco is now locking knives in locked glass cabinets in a bid to stop them being stolen by teenagers using them to stab rivals in the streets.
The supermarket giant has made the move amid escalating violence sweeping the capital which has seen 32 victims stabbed to death this year alone.
Police are now urging other stores to follow suit as they step up patrols in north London, where an attacker remains on the loose after knifing a passerby in Edmonton – after four people were ‘attacked at random’ in the same area during a 14-hour rampage over the weekend.
The storage units even have combination locks to make sure they are only accessible to members of staff.
Tesco is now locking knives in locked glass cabinets in a bid to stop them being stolen
Southbury Police posted a letter on Twitter which officers have circulated to supermarkets in Edmonton.
It reads: ‘London is in the middle of a knife crime epidemic which is making national news. Enfield is having its fair share of knife crimes were people are being seriously injured or killed.
‘Many of these knife crimes are as a result of kitchen knives being used. The police are doing their best to combat this threat but as you know we are extremely stretched with numbers and are facing an uphill battle.’
Police added the Tesco fitted the cabinet after ‘several shopliftings of their knives from youths who we all know won’t be using them for cooking.’
No knives have been stolen since, police confirmed.
Before: Tesco used to sell knives straight from the shelf but has taken measures to lock thm away amid a spate of fatal stabbings in the capital
Enfield MPS replied: ‘Something very straightforward and very easy to implement in every department store is this locked cabinet for knives. Hopefully we can get more & more stores to follow this procedure. We all play a part in reducing #knifecrime.’.
Officers have now called upon Sainsburys and Dunelm to follow suit.
The force added: ‘We agree that the vast majority of kitchen knives will be taken from kitchen drawers. The fact is however that youths are stealing knives from these stores. To quote a large supermarket soundbite ‘every little helps.
‘We never said it would stop knife crime, but if it even saved one life.’
Morrisons has banned the sale of knives altogether in some London stores.
The manager of one branch in Peckham, south London, said he decided to act after noticing pupils swipe them on the way to school.
Southbury Police posted a letter on Twitter which officers have circulated to supermarkets in Edmonton
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