Heathrow Passengers Stranded For Hours At Bus Stops After Pepper Spray Attack
Passengers arriving at Heathrow Terminal 3 on Sunday said they faced hours waiting for buses after a number of people were attacked with a “form of pepper spray”.
Officers were called at 8.11am on Sunday to reports that multiple people had been assaulted by a group of men at the multi-storey car park at Terminal 3.
Armed officers called to the scene found a number of people who had been sprayed with what the Metropolitan Police said is believed to be a type of pepper spray.
London Ambulance Service also attended and said it treated 21 patients, with five taken to hospital.
Their injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.
One man who was arrested following the alleged assault remains in custody, police said.
Witness Tom Bate told the BBC he had been waiting to be picked up from the car park when he saw “young men dressed in black darting through the crowd”.
He said he felt a burning at the back of his throat after they left, with other people nearby beginning to cough.
Officers continue to hunt for other suspects but Scotland Yard confirmed the incident is not being treated as terrorism.
“I’m so glad to hear now that it’s not terrorism because it felt like I was in the middle of an attack – it was pretty intense,” Mr Bate told the BBC.
Footage on social media appeared to show a man being handcuffed by an armed officer while another searched him.
By midday, dozens of passengers were waiting at the terminal’s bus stop for shuttles to the long-stay car park and elsewhere.
One family, who did not wish to be named, said they had waited for three hours at the bus stop after their flight landed at around 8am.
Heathrow staff handed out bottled water to waiting passengers on Sunday afternoon.
Rail passengers at Heathrow Terminal 2/3 station also faced long queues amid overcrowding.
Commander Peter Stevens said: “At this stage, we believe the incident involved a group of people known to each other, with an argument escalating and resulting in a number of people being injured.
“Our officers responded quickly and there will be an increased police presence at Heathrow Airport throughout the morning to continue inquiries and ensure the safety of those in the area.
“We are not treating this incident as terrorism. I understand the public’s concerns and would like to thank those in the area for their cooperation.”
Policing minister Sarah Jones added: “My thoughts are with all those affected by the incident at Heathrow this morning. My heartfelt thanks go to the emergency services for their rapid response – and the arrest made.
“I am being regularly updated on the investigation. Those in the area should follow police advice.”
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 101, quoting CAD 1803 7 DEC.
Published: by Radio NewsHub