Leyton attack: Police officer 'will recover' after 'frenzied, unprovoked and shocking' machete stabbing in east London

A police officer was stabbed a number of times in a "frenzied" machete attack in east London.

The patrol officer was attacked around midnight on Thursday as he tried to stop a van in Leyton.

The policeman, aged in his 30s, managed to use his Taser despite having been stabbed. The attacker was then arrested by another officer.

This morning, Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Tucker said that the officer had been seriously injured but would recover.

He is being treated for a wound to the side of his head, which requires stitches, and an injured hand from fending off the attacker, he added.

The incident took place when the uniformed officers, in a marked police car, signalled for the van to stop in Coopers Lane’s junction with Leyton High Road but it failed to pull over.

After a brief police chase, the vehicle stopped and the officers headed to speak to the driver, who then launched the "sudden and brutal attack," Scotland Yard said.

A suspect, aged in his fifties, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of GBH and taken to a police station for questioning. He did not require hospital treatment.

Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the shocking incident and there are no other reported injuries, the force said in statement.

It added that there is nothing at this stage to suggest the incident is terrorist related.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “The vehicle failed to stop for police and made off. It was followed briefly by police on ‘blues and twos’ and stopped a short while later.

“Officers got out of the police car to speak to the male driver aged in his fifties.

“He then attacked a uniformed police officer with a machete. The male officer was stabbed a number of times but managed to draw his taser and used it to subdue the suspect and protect himself from further harm. The suspect was then promptly arrested by the other officer in attendance.”

Inspector Julia James from North East Command Unit said: “This was a sudden and brutal attack on a uniformed officer carrying out their duties. What began as a routine vehicle stop has transformed very quickly and unexpectedly into an unprovoked attack with a weapon.

“Our thoughts are with the injured officer and his family and we wish him a full recovery. I would like to commend his bravery and resilience especially as he managed to draw a taser, despite being repeatedly stabbed, to prevent the suspect harming anyone else and to protect himself from further injury.

Any witnesses to the incident should contact police via 101 quoting CAD3/8August or Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111.