London stabbings: Five men taken to hospital after violent altercation, one arrested

Five men were injured in a stabbing incident on a busy street in London’s West End on Friday afternoon after a violent brawl broke out in Acton, police said.According to the Metropolitan Police, officers on patrol in Horn Lane received reports of multiple men being assaulted and stabbed at around 2.47pm. Emergency first aid was administered at the scene before all five victims were taken to hospital.Four of the injured men, aged 20, 22, 42 and 47, were stabbed, but police said their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing. A fifth man, 26, was also taken to hospital and later arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm (GBH) and intent to supply Class A and B drugs.Police confirmed the suspect remains receiving medical treatment while the investigation continues.The London Ambulance Service said multiple emergency teams, including advanced paramedics and tactical response teams, were deployed to the scene after a distress call was received at around 2.05pm.Chief Superintendent Jill Horsfall said the incident would understandably be a shock to residents and assured the public that detectives were working to establish the full sequence of events.She said: “We recognize this will be of concern to the local community and would like to reassure them that our detectives are working quickly to investigate exactly what happened.”Police said security would be heightened in the area over the coming days and urged witnesses or anyone with information to contact authorities.Photos circulated on local community forums reportedly showed several injured men being treated outside a nearby electrical store.The incident comes amid continued concern over knife crime in England and Wales, although recent figures show knife-related crime and homicides fell in 2025 compared to the previous year.