Terrified residents claimed the neighborhood around one of London’s Royal Parks is now a ‘no-go zone’ after a car plowed into a crowd of people during a brutal knife fight.
Locals described the incident as a ‘bloodbath’ and said it was a ‘miracle’ nobody died, with one source suggesting the attack was the result of a ‘love rivalry’.
A 27-year-old man, a 22-year-old man and a 30-year-old have since been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and affray, Met Police confirmed.
Shocking footage showed the moment the terrifying incident unfolded outside the London Central Mosque in Regent’s Park on Saturday.
A group of men can be seen brawling in the middle of the street in broad daylight, with several National Express coaches, London buses, and other motorists brought to a complete standstill behind them.
Pedestrians watched on as a suspected stabbing frenzy occurred, with an eyewitness commenting about one of the men: ‘He has a shank’.
Events took an even further dramatic turn when a motorist appeared out of nowhere, cutting across the road to take out the two men who appeared to be wielding knives.
Despite the group being plowed into, the fight showed no sign of stopping as they spilled onto the pavement while onlookers beeped their horns and pedestrians pleaded with them to stop.
A car came barrelling into two of the men midway through a knife fight in Regents Park, London
While one of the men was on the ground after being struck by the car, another started slashing at him with a knife as he tried to make it into his getaway car.
As he tried to stand up again, he was pushed to the ground once more and kicked by another assailant.
One man was found with stab injuries following the attack, but they are not thought to be life-threatening, police said.
Several workers at the mosque called the area, one of the most expensive in the capital, ‘lawless’ and said it had become a ‘no-go zone’ with violent attacks happening every week.
Ahmed Ali, a security guard at the mosque, witnessed the incident and said it was ‘frightening’.
He said: ‘We heard it was a rivalry, which involved a woman. It was madness. It could have been a love rivalry we heard.
‘It was very scary. I saw it. The man was slashed several times, I thought he was going to die. It was a bloodbath.
‘He was covered in blood on the floor. This area is lawless. It is a miracle he survived.
‘It was like a scene from a movie. There was violence everywhere. This guy got a knife out and started slashing.
‘There were two knives involved. The violence around here is very shocking.’
Mr Ali said onlookers called police and paramedics.
He said: ‘I saw the man get punched with a knife. Apparently, it was not random. It was an organised attack. They went for him and it was planned. It was terrifying.’
Another worker at the mosque said: ‘We have a lot of trouble outside. We get a lot of racism directed at us but not by white British people.
‘It’s scary in London now. There’s attacks. Everyone has a knife. There was another stabbing down the road a few weeks ago.
‘It’s a no-go area.’
The worker said he saw the aftermath of the incident.
He said: ‘It was like a professional hit. They got in the car and drove off. London is out of control.’
Regent’s Park is one of the most expensive areas of London, with house and flat prices averaging around £3million.
The attack happened in the street outside London Central Mosque (pictured) in the Regent’s Park area of London
Zaheer Khan, 45, who moved into a two-bedroom flat which costs £3,000 a month to rent, said he felt ‘scared’ to live in the area.
He said: ‘I moved in four weeks ago. It’s crazy.
‘I thought the lad was going to die. I could see it out of my window. The police came very quickly and so did paramedics.’
Speaking on Saturday, a Met police spokesperson said: ‘Met Police received multiple reports of a large disturbance on Park Road, NW8 at around 3.48pm on Saturday, 27 September.
‘A group of men were witnessed fighting in the road before being involved in a collision with a single vehicle.
‘Officers responded, and one man was located with stab injuries. His injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.’
On Sunday night, a spokesperson for the force added: ‘A 27-year-old man, a 22-year-old man and a 30-year-old have since been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and affray.
‘They have been released on bail as enquiries continue.’
Any other information can be shared with police by calling 101 or online, quoting 01/8021115/25.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or by submitting an online form.
