Police have confirmed that the mass stabbings on a train on Saturday have been linked with an attack on a teenager and an incident in a barber shop.
Anthony Williams has been charged with attempted murder after boarding the Doncaster to London King’s Cross service at Huntingdon, on Saturday, which saw 11 people treated in hospital.
The British Transport Police have since confirmed the incident is being linked to four other knife incidents that took place in the hours before he allegedly launched the terrifying stabbing spree.
The first incident took place at 7.10pm on Friday, October 31, when a 14-year-old boy was stabbed by a man with a knife in Peterborough city centre. He was taken to hospital with minor injuries and was later discharged.
By the time the call to police was made, the attacker had fled the scene and could not be traced by officers, Cambridgeshire Constabulary said.
But moments later, a man with a knife reportedly entered a barber shop nearby in Fletton before leaving the premises. A report about the incident was made to the force around two hours later and no officers were sent to the scene.
The next morning at around 0.46am, British Transport Police (BTP) officers received reports that a 17-year-old had suffered a facial injury after being attacked with a knife on board a DLR train at Pontoon Dock.
The attacker left the area before police arrived, but BTP later identified Williams as a suspect and took steps to locate and arrest him later that day.
More than nine hours later, Cambridgeshire Constabulary received another call from the Fletton barber shop, stating the man from the night before had returned and was still at the shop. However, when police arrived 18 minutes later, he had again fled.
Detectives have linked all four incidents to the Huntingdon train attack, which took place at 7.42pm on Saturday, just over 24 hours since the first incident was reported to police.
Anthony Williams, 32, has appeared in court accused of a knife rampage onboard a high-speed train bound for London
The train sitting at the platform in Huntingdon on Sunday morning, after passengers and rail staff were subjected to a frenzied knife attack
Of the 11 people who were taken to hospital after being attacked on the train, seven have now been discharged.
Samir Zitouni, who has worked for London North Eastern Railway (LNER) for more than 20 years, remains in hospital in a stable but ‘critically unwell’ condition following the attack and three other patients remain stable in hospital.
British Transport Police said in a statement: ‘We can confirm that British Transport Police (BTP) have primacy for the overall investigation relating to Anthony Williams, 32, who was charged with multiple offences following the major incident on a train at Huntingdon, on Saturday 1 November.
‘This investigation includes any relevant offences on 31 October and 1 November. This now includes the three incidents reported to Cambridgeshire Constabulary on 31 and 1 November, and an incident at Pontoon Dock DLR on 1 November.’
Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said: ‘The criminal investigation is a priority for British Transport Police, and we are working closely with Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Service.
‘We have also this week initiated measures to increase the visibility of police officers across the railway network to reassure both rail staff and the travelling public.
‘People will have seen officers actively patrolling concourses and trains, engaging with train crew and passengers, and covering as many services as possible to maintain safety and confidence.
‘Most importantly, the public are our eyes and ears too. If you see something that doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts and text us on 61016.’
Williams appeared in court on Monday accused of going on a knife rampage on the high-speed 6.25pm LNER service from Doncaster to London’s King’s Cross, where he is accused of attempting to murder 10 people.
He is also accused of attempting to kill an 11th person following the incident at Pontoon Dock on Friday.
The BTP said there are no matters to refer to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) at this time.
