A man who was arrested after a Marks & Spencer worker and a shopper were stabbed in a store has been detained under the Mental Health Act.
The 57-year-old was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a member of staff in her 40s and a shopper in her 60s suffered stab injuries in the attack in Burnley at 9.30am on Wednesday.
The man has been detained for 28 days for an assessment of his mental health, Lancashire police confirmed today.
The knife attack – which is not being treated as terrorism – came as shoppers flocked back to the High Street after the national coronavirus lockdown was lifted and all shops reopened on ‘Wild Wednesday.’
Footage from the scene captured a man in a face mask being detained by officers outside the Marks & Spencer store yesterday morning.
A man who was arrested after a Marks & Spencer worker and a shopper were stabbed in a store has been detained under the Mental Health Act. Pictured: A man is arrested outside the shop yesterday
The 57-year-old was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a member of staff in her 40s and a shopper in her 60s suffered stab injuries in the attack in Burnley at 9.30am on Wednesday. Pictured: A man is arrested outside the shop yesterday
Witnesses claimed one of the women was stabbed in the neck during the attack, but this has not yet been confirmed.
One woman is still in hospital and the other has been discharged.
The man was detained by members of the public and staff and a knife was recovered at the scene.
Superintendent Stasia Osiowy said: ‘Our inquiries into this incident are ongoing and I would like to continue to appeal to members of the public who may have seen or filmed this incident, or who have information which could assist, to get in touch with us.
‘Mercifully, while the injuries caused in this incident were serious, they are not life-threatening and the two women involved are continuing to receive the support of specially trained police officers.
Witnesses claimed one of the women was stabbed in the neck during the attack, but this has not yet been confirmed. Pictured: Police cars at the scene yesterday
The man was detained by members of the public and staff and a knife was recovered at the scene. Pictured: An ambulance at the scene yesterday
‘I would like to stress again this is not being treated as a terrorism incident and we continue to keep an open mind as to motivation of this individual.
‘I would like to thank the community for their understanding and co-operation while we dealt with an incident which clearly had the potential to cause a great deal of concern.
‘We will continue to update people on the course of our investigation as and when we can and there will continue to be extra patrols in the town centre to reassure.’
An M&S spokesperson said yesterday: ‘We are incredibly grateful for the emergency services that responded to this incident and our M&S colleague and the member of the public who were injured are now in good care.
‘We are also supporting the police with their investigation. The store is currently closed and our focus is on ensuring that our colleagues in Burnley receive all the support they need.’
Lancashire Police and the North West Ambulance Service raced to the store near St James’ Street following reports of the double stabbing yesterday
Carl Stredder, who was shopping in Burnley with his wife yesterday, said he heard shouting coming from inside Marks & Spencer when he stopped to withdraw cash nearby.
He described seeing a man ‘holding down’ another before police and paramedics swarmed the scene.
‘Within a couple of minutes, the police had arrived. There were six or seven police cars, sirens all over the place,’ he told the BBC.
‘Then within another five or so minutes, an ambulance came. It was apparent by then that some sort of major incident had occurred.’
Tracy Bond, 45, who works nearby, told the Sun: ‘I saw the police arrive and the man being arrested.
‘This was about 9.30am. He was just stood outside the shop with the police around him. Then they took him away in the van.’
A security guard said: ‘It’s such a shame it’s happened today as everything is open again and people want to do their shopping, especially as it’s getting nearer to Christmas.’
Pictured: Police patrols in Burnley yesterday following the double stabbing in a Marks & Spencer store
It came as eager Christmas shoppers in England were able to hit the High Street for the first time in four weeks as the national lockdown restrictions were lifted.
Yesterday was branded ‘Wild Wednesday’ because shops can stay open all night to claw back some of £900million-a-day economic hit caused by the Prime Minister’s controversial tier system.
In Burnley, which is under the tightest Tier 3 rules, the town centre was busy with shoppers looking to visit non-essential shops for the first since since November 5.
Marks & Spencer had remained open as an essential business throughout England’s second Covid-19 lockdown.