A man is set to appear in court charged with attempted murder following a mass stabbing on a high-speed train in Cambridgeshire that left ten people injured, as well as a separate knife attack on London’s transport network that wounded another person.
Anthony Williams, 32, from Peterborough, has been charged with 11 counts of attempted murder, one count of actual bodily harm, and one count of possessing a bladed article in connection with the two incidents, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed.
“Our team of out-of-hours prosecutors worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings,” said Tracy Easton, the chief crown prosecutor for CPS Direct.
“We worked closely with British Transport Police to review a huge volume of evidence including CCTV. The number of charges will be kept under review as this continues to progress. We know the devastating impact the events on Saturday’s train has had and how the incident shocked the entire country. Our thoughts remain with all those affected.”
Williams is expected to appear at Peterborough magistrates court on Monday, accused of ten counts of attempted murder linked to the attack on the LNER service, according to British Transport Police (BTP).
The eleventh charge relates to an incident at Pontoon Dock DLR station in east London in the early hours of the same day, where a victim suffered facial injuries in a knife attack.
An LNER staff member remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital following the stabbings on the Doncaster to London train, while four other people also remain under medical care.
BTP said on Sunday that two men had initially been arrested, but later that evening, a 35-year-old man from London was released without further action after police determined he was not involved.
The attack occurred on the 6:25pm Doncaster to London King’s Cross service on Saturday evening, prompting the train to make an emergency stop at Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire about an hour into the journey.
According to police, officers were called to the scene at around 7:42pm and boarded the train within minutes. Two men were detained on board, one believed to have been subdued with a stun gun after brandishing a knife.
Authorities said there is currently no evidence to suggest the incident was linked to terrorism and urged members of the public to come forward with any information that could assist the investigation.
A total of eleven people were treated in hospital, with four later discharged. Two patients remained in life-threatening condition as of Sunday morning, police confirmed during a press conference.
Supt John Loveless told reporters at Huntingdon: “At approximately 7:42pm yesterday evening, there were calls to the police service in relation to multiple stabbings which took place onboard a train service.”
“Officers immediately attended Huntington station alongside paramedics, where armed police officers from Cambridgeshire police boarded the train and arrested two people within eight minutes of the 999 call being made.”
The incident has led to an increased police presence across the national rail network until at least the end of Monday, with continued disruption to trains between King’s Cross and Peterborough and the closure of Huntingdon station expected to last into the week.
In a message released by Buckingham Palace, King Charles expressed his horror at the attack. “My wife and I were truly appalled and shocked to hear of the dreadful knife attack that took place onboard a train in Cambridgeshire last night.”
“Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with all those affected, and their loved ones. We are particularly grateful to the emergency services for their response to this awful incident.”
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood also commended the swift actions of emergency responders and the courage of those on board, confirming the case was not being treated as terrorism.
She wrote on social media: “After last night’s horrific attack, my thoughts today are with the victims, their friends and family.”
“My deepest thanks go to the British Transport Police, Cambridgeshire police, Cambridgeshire fire and rescue service and the East of England ambulance service. They responded rapidly, with the utmost professionalism and saved lives.”
“I would also like to pay tribute to the exceptional bravery of staff and passengers on the train.”
