British Museum evacuated after stabbing 'in the queue'
There is a heavy police presence at the British MuseumThe British Museum has been evacuated after a stabbing, which witnesses claim took place in the queue.The Metropolitan Police said a man has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm after a man was stabbed at around 10am on Tuesday directly outside the museum, at the junction of Great Russell Street and Museum Street.A man has been hospitalised in a major trauma centre with a stab wound to the arm, but his condition is not yet known.The force said it was “an isolated incident and there is no outstanding risk to the public” and it is not being treated as terrorism-related, with a crime scene tent erected at the scene.Eyewitnesses said they saw a middle-aged victim “dripping blood everywhere” and “screaming” after an attack in the queue along the busy street Great Russell Street outside the museum, while the attacker allegedly fled before being arrested on a nearby street.Follow live updates below.02:29 PM BSTVictim
The British Museum has been evacuated after a stabbing, which witnesses claim took place in the queue.
The Metropolitan Police said a man has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm after a man was stabbed at around 10am on Tuesday directly outside the museum, at the junction of Great Russell Street and Museum Street.
A man has been hospitalised in a major trauma centre with a stab wound to the arm, but his condition is not yet known.
The force said it was “an isolated incident and there is no outstanding risk to the public” and it is not being treated as terrorism-related, with a crime scene tent erected at the scene.
Eyewitnesses said they saw a middle-aged victim “dripping blood everywhere” and “screaming” after an attack in the queue along the busy street Great Russell Street outside the museum, while the attacker allegedly fled before being arrested on a nearby street.
Follow live updates below.
02:29 PM BST
Victim 'screaming' and 'dripping blood everywhere'
The manager of a nearby souvenir shop, who wished to remain anonymous, said he saw a middle-aged man stabbed while he waited in the queue for the museum on Great Russell Street not far from the Museum Tavern pub.
He attempted to escape and was “dripping blood everywhere”, the witness claimed.
The male attacker was arrested by police a short distance away on Coptic Street, he said.
A local businesswoman heard the victim “screaming” and saw a trail of blood along the street in the aftermath of the attack.
A police tent was erected on the pavement on the museum side of Great Russell Street, just metres from the entrance.
02:14 PM BST
Moment 'lockdown' hit British Museum
The site of Tuesday morning’s incidents houses a permanent collection of more than eight million works, making it the largest in the world, Alex Barton reports.
Simon Keller, a 44-year-old father of two from New York, who is visiting family in London this week, was planning on going to the museum on Tuesday afternoon.
He and his family decided against going in because the queues and the commotion were too much. Mr Keller told The Telegraph:
I’m with my two kids and partner and visiting the museum today is not worth the wait and the worry.
We got an alert on the way here and saw there was a lockdown.
I suspect it was an isolated incident and it looks like it was.
Now the queue to get back in is so huge because of it, we are going to have to find something else to do.
We are from New York, so this sort of stuff isn’t too much of a surprise.
02:10 PM BST
10 police cars and fire engine
A Starbucks employee who works opposite the main entrance said 10 police cars and a fire truck arrived but didn’t use sirens.
Police asked the coffee shop employees for a bucket of water after the incident unfolded, it is claimed. The woman, who asked not to be named, told The Telegraph’s Alex Barton:
I saw the police putting the tape up after it happened.
There were 10 police cars and a fire engine. Lots of people - lots of police officers.
Then they put up a small blue tent and tape up about just outside the entrance but now it’s gone.
They asked us for a bucket of water, but I’m not sure what they did with it.
The police told us someone had been attacked in the queue and they closed the road because of it. They didn’t know who the man was or why it happened.
People were still queuing after the stabbing, we didn’t hear anything when it happened and people just kept queuing to get in.
Until the police told them to move, they stayed in the line in the rain.
01:50 PM BST
Extra security as museum reopens
The British Museum has now reopened to visitors with security stepped up.
A statement said: “The museum has now reopened with raised security including a heightened search operation.”
01:40 PM BST
Latest from the scene
01:35 PM BST
Attack 'took place in the queue'
A steady stream of sight-seers carrying brollies followed a snake of metal fencing inside the outer gates as they filed back into the British Museum after it was reopened this afternoon, Alex Barton reports.
Some claimed the assault, which police have said was Grievous Bodily Harm, took place in the queue.
The Met said there was no wider risk to the public.
01:26 PM BST
Tourists flock to get back into the British Museum
Police set up a cordon and a small blue tent around 20 metres from the main entrance of The British Museum after the incident, Alex Barton reports from the scene.
Once the tent and tape were removed, a queue stretching for hundreds of metres formed around the perimeter of The British Museum, with people hoping to get back in.
Security staff at the main gates were allowing people back into the grounds slowly at around 12.30pm on Tuesday afternoon.
Dozens of people were heard questioning them about what had happened earlier in the day, but they refused to answer.
01:21 PM BST
British Museum chairman George Osborne thanks security for 'quick' reaction
George Osborne, former chancellor and chairman of the British Museum, has thanked the museum’s security team and other staff who reacted promptly to the incident and wished the victim the “best recovery”.
The 52-year-old tweeted: “Disturbing news of a knife attack near the gates of the British Museum this am.
“Much thanks to our security team and other BM [British Museum] staff, who reacted quickly, with the police.
“Museum has now reopened; everyone’s thoughts at the BM are with the victim and we wish him the best recovery.”
12:22 PM BST
Crowds gather outside British Museum
12:15 PM BST
Video: Crime scene at the British Museum
12:05 PM BST
British Museum confirms evacuation
The British Museum has confirmed its evacuation, saying in a statement: “The Museum is temporarily closed due to an incident close by. We will update visitors as soon as we are able to reopen.”
11:44 AM BST
Victim taken to major trauma centre
We’ve just had a statement in from the London Ambulance Service. A spokesman said:
We were called at 10.19am today (8 August) to reports of a stabbing on Great Russell Street, WC1B.
We sent an ambulance crew and an incident response officer to the scene.
We treated a man at the scene for an arm injury before taking him to a major trauma centre as a priority.
11:37 AM BST
Pictures live from the scene at the British Museum
11:34 AM BST
Just in: full Met Police statement
We now have a full statement from Scotland Yard on the British Museum stabbing:
Police have arrested a man on suspicion of GBH following an incident at the junction of Russell Street and Museum Street around 10am on Tuesday 8 August.
A man was treated for a stab wound to the arm at the scene and taken by London Ambulance Service to hospital.
His condition is being assessed.
This was an isolated incident and there is no outstanding risk to the public. It is not being treated as terror-related.
The scene may be in place for much of today.
Anyone with information or footage which could assist the police investigation is asked to contact police on 101, quoting CADF 2184/08AUG, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
11:33 AM BST
'Man with the knife in the queue'
Another British Museum visitor has said there was “a man with the knife in the queue”.
A self-described eyewitness tweeted: “Within ten minutes of entering, they are kicking us out. the @britishmuseum is closing due to police alert?? A man with a knife in the queue.”
11:27 AM BST
Met Police: Man arrested and another man hospitalised
11:18 AM BST
Ambulance 'rushed down the street'
Ms Renee, a journalist who was at the British Museum in London this morning, told The Telegraph that there are reports of a stabbing and she saw paramedics arrive.
She said: “I was at the scene, I heard that someone was stabbed and the ambulance was parked inside near the grass area and then rushed down the street, right by me, with a police following behind. A cop told me the museum is completely closed until tomorrow.”
11:16 AM BST
'Large crime scene'
Keira Renee, a journalist at the Financial Times, tweeted: “Was just waiting in line to enter.. Being told by police that it’s a large crime scene and that the museum will be closed until tomorrow.”
11:13 AM BST
The British Museum has been evacuated
The British Museum in central London has been evacuated today following reports of a stabbing.
We will be bringing you live updates as we know more.
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