HIGH ALERT
Reading stabbings – Boris Johnson vows to change laws if needed & learn lessons
BORIS Johnson today said he wouldn't hesitate to change the law if needed to - to stop sick incidents like the Reading stabbing attack from happening again.
The Prime Minister told media today he would see if there are lessons to learn from the "appalling" event where at least three were killed.
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Cops confirmed three people had died, while another three people were seriously injured.
In a clip on Sunday lunchtime the PM said: "I'm appalled and sickened that people should lose their lives in this way and our thoughts are very much with the families and friends of the victims today."
Police were working on "getting to the bottom" of exactly what happened, and one person was currently in custody.
Earlier he spoke to the Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police to thank him and his officers for their brave work.
He added: "If there are lessons that we need to learn about how we handle such cases, how we handle the events leading up to such cases, we will learn those lessons, and we will not hesitate to take action when necessary."
He clarified: "If there are changes that need to be made to our legal system to stop such events happening again we will not hesitate to take that action, as we have before over the automatic early release of terror offenders."
The PM denied that more incidents such as this could happen in future as a result of the pandemic.
He said: "Crime overall had been coming down, I am very pleased we have got large numbers of officers out on the streets now.
"And we are recruiting 20,000 more."
He also shared his support by tweeting: "My thoughts are with all of those affected by the appalling incident in Reading and my thanks to the emergency services on the scene."
Meanwhile, Labour's boss Sir Keir Starmer said he wants to "speak to the PM to discuss how together we can improve the response and learn from this, whether there need to be changes to the law."
And he added: "The investigation must be completed, but this is not a time for party politics."It is incumbent on all of us to pull together in response to this."
Distressing video on social media showed people lying on the ground, as witnesses and officers sprinted to their aid.
What we know so far:
- Counter-terror cops take over probe, as police confirm it was a terror attack
- Three men confirmed to have been murdered, with three others taken to hospital
- Witness told how he saw blood spurting from the victims
- A hero cop spotted the knifeman and 'rugby tackled' him to the ground
- The Libyan suspect was arrested on suspicion of murder and is in custody - he has previously been in jail for "violent" offences
- Around 20 armed counter-terror cops raided a block of flats thought to be linked to the suspect
- The head of counter terrorism policing, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said police are not currently seeking anyone else as part of the investigation
In the footage which has since been shared online, officers were seen giving CPR to the victims who were covered in blood.
One person can be heard shouting: "He's still breathing", while another, presumably a medic, is asking for a defibrillator.
A security source said that the man who has been arrested is Libyan.
One eyewitness, who said he was around 10 metres from the scene, said the attack looked "completely random".
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Lawrence Wort, 20, a personal trainer from Chippenham, said: "So the park was pretty full.
"A lot of people sat around drinking with friends when one lone person walked through, suddenly shouted some unintelligible words and went around a large group of around 10, trying to stab them.
"He stabbed three of them, severely in the neck, and under the arms, and then turned and started running towards me, and we turned and started running.
"When he realised that he couldn't catch us, he tried to stab another group sat down, he got one person in the back of the neck and then when he realised everyone was starting to run, he ran out the park."
Another witness, named Dan, told he saw blood spurting and victims dropping "like a weight" as a man appeared to be "tapping them on the head".
The 26-year-old said: "I thought they were playing duck duck goose and thought someone had been sick, we realised it was blood spraying out."
The knifeman "shouted some unintelligible words," according to another witness, before stabbing his victims in the neck and under their arms.
A hero police officer also reportedly spotted the suspect running away with a knife and "rugby tackled him to the ground."
Thames Valley Police said: "Police attended at around 7pm along with other emergency services.
"Officers arrested a man at the scene who is now in police custody.
"A number of people sustained injuries and were taken to hospital.
"A police cordon is in place in Forbury Gardens as officers investigate. We are asking the public to avoid the area at this time."
Home Secretary Priti Patel tweeted: "Deeply concerned to hear reports of an incident in Reading.
"My thoughts are with everyone involved, including police and emergency responders at the scene."
INVESTIGATION 'UNDERWAY'
Cops have not revealed any further details about the serious incident but they have said an investigation is underway.
A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police tweeted: "We are aware of reports of an incident in Forbury Gardens, Reading.
"Officers are on the scene and investigating the incident."
Earlier, a Black Lives Matter protest was held in the park with the Forbury Gardens bandstand used to deliver speeches.
Cops later confirmed the protest was not linked to the stabbing.
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Nieema Hassan said in a video message posted to Facebook: "They were very peaceful and we worked with the police liaison.
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"In terms of the protest and the people who attended from Black Lives Matter, we're all safe. None of us are affected. We had all left by the time this happened."
Thames Valley Police said: "There is no indication that this incident is linked to the Black Lives Matter protest that took place in Reading today."
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We ought to have sent him packing
By Nick Parker
A FORMER security chief says Khairi Saadallah should have been kicked out of the UK after leaving jail.
Col Richard Kemp said: “He should have been deported on release from prison for violent crimes and never been given leave to stay.
“If he had been, the three men he murdered would be alive today.”
Col Kemp — an ex- government Cobra security committee chair — added: “The first responsibility of the government is to protect its citizens.
“Instead, governments have put the human rights of foreign criminals above the right to life of our people.
“This is a shocking and disgraceful dereliction of duty.
“The Home Secretary must get the justice system sorted out so it protects British citizens rather than pandering to activists.”
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