Mother, 36, is stabbed in the back three times in unprovoked attack as she pushed her child in a pram on residential London street
- Woman, 36, was attacked from behind in Streatham Hill, South London
- Police hunt suspect described as 6ft tall black man wearing dark clothing
- Attacker said nothing as he stabbed her three times before running away
- Scotland Yard appeal for witnesses following assault at 5.30pm yesterday
- Did you see the attack…? Email tips@dailymail.com
A mother was stabbed in the back in an unprovoked attack in London last night while pushing her child in a pram.
The 36-year-old woman was taken to hospital after being attacked from behind in Streatham Hill, South London, by a 6ft tall black man wearing dark clothing.
The man said nothing as he stabbed her three times before running off down the leafy surburban street of Downton Avenue, away from the High Road.
The woman was attacked from behind on this road in Streatham Hill, South London (file image)
Scotland Yard detectives are now appealing for witnesses following the assault shortly before 5.30pm yesterday. The woman’s child was not injured.
A 66-year-old neighbour told MailOnline: ‘I was going out to the shops when I heard a woman scream. I ran out and she was standing hunched over slightly leaning on her pushchair.
‘She said ‘I’ve been attacked, I’ve been attacked’ and looked really shocked and frightened. I was the first to reach her and called the police right away.
‘As I was doing so other people came out to see if the woman was ok and I heard her tell them that she’d been mugged.
‘At first she’d not looked too badly hurt but eventually blood began pouring down her face. I didn’t know at the time that she’d actually been stabbed from behind.
‘She was with a child of about two-years-old who didn’t seem too distressed thankfully.
The man said nothing as he stabbed her before running off down this leafy surburban street
‘Apparently she’d tried to call her husband straight after she was attacked but couldn’t get through so rang a friend to let him know what happened.
‘The husband arrived a few minutes later closely followed by the police. It was a really horrible attack, I hope she makes a full recovery.’
Officers from the South Area criminal investigation department are said to be carrying out ‘extensive enquiries’, including forensic work and CCTV analysis.
Police said detectives ‘retain an open mind as to any motive’, adding that there had been no arrests and the investigation continues.
Officers described the suspect as a ‘black man, around 6ft tall and wearing dark clothing’. They said the woman’s injuries were not life-threatening or life-changing.
London bus route P13 had to be diverted, with buses not stopping between Downton Avenue / Streatham Hill and Lanercost Road, and Palace Road and Emsworth Street.
Downton Avenue is a prized street near Streatham Hill train station with an average property value of £773,000 – 37 per cent above the SW2 average of £565,000.
The road is also known locally for suffering severe damage during the Second World War when it was hit by a V1 bomb on June 18, 1944, which resulted in five deaths.
The blast saw ten houses demolished and a further 17 severely damaged, with a number of the properties rebuilt to match their undamaged counterparts.