Seven men have been arrested after four people were stabbed during what witnesses described as a machete-related fight on a busy south London high street today.
One man is fighting for his life and three other people were taken to hospital following the attack, which happened inside a KFC on Bromley High Street at about 2.15pm.
Police confirmed that seven men were detained in connection with the incident and remain in custody. Officers said they do not currently believe there is any wider danger to the public.
The KFC branch has since been shut, with the restaurant offering support to members of staff affected by the violence.
Witnesses reported seeing “a lot of blood” after the victims were attacked with a large blade inside the fast-food restaurant. One person claimed the attackers used “a machete”, while a bus driver who arrived at the scene shortly afterwards said he had been told the weapon was a “zombie knife”.
The bus driver, who asked not to be named, said: “It was inside the KFC. People have been interviewed in there since I arrived – I’ve been stuck here for two hours.
“Someone from TK Maxx said it was a zombie knife. They said it was really bad, a lot of blood.”
A nearby security guard also described seeing “a group of kids with a machete” in the area around the time of the attack.
‘I came off my break and saw a bunch of police cars come past – they surrounded the area and have cut off everything heading towards Bromley North,’ they added.
A man is today fighting for his life, with three others rushed to hospital after a fight is understood to have broken out in a KFC branch on Bromley High Street at around 2.15pm
Forensic investigators can be seen at the scene on Bromley High Street in south London
It comes after witnesses said they saw the assailants use ‘a machete’ and saw a ‘lot of blood’
The town square and shopping centre have been blocked off as a cordon remains in place between Ringers Road and Ethelbert Road.
Meanwhile, a manager of Merkur Slots gambling shop said she witnessed the fight ‘spill out’ on to the high street.
She said that she felt ‘very worried’ and locked herself, as well as three customers, inside the building as they waited for the incident to de-escalate.
Vinnie Guadagnino, who lives on the high street, said he saw a huge police response to the incident with several cars and at least ten officers on foot.
He told the BBC: ‘Police cars kept coming, then within the next half hour there were multiple fire engines and people gathering.
‘Then there was a drone overhead and helicopters and an air ambulance – so a massive emergency service response.’
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An air ambulance, the London Fire Brigade and the Met Police were dispatched to the incident.
Bromley is one of the largest boroughs in the capital city and is known for its sprawling green spaces. It is generally considered a middle-class area.
It is also ranked among the top ten safest boroughs in the capital city, with 67 crimes reported per 1,000 people, CrimeRate reported.
Data this year also revealed it was the most expensive area in south-east London to buy a property.
The scene at Bromley this afternoon, where there was a heavy police response to the incident
Statistics from Zoopla showed the average salary required to buy a home in Bromley was £92,000.
The average property price of a property in the area sits at £518,000, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Meanwhile, as of June 2026, the average value of a detached property in Bromley sits at £1,074,000
Peter Fortune, the borough’s Conservative MP, said on X that he was aware of residents’ ‘safety concerns’ following the attack.
‘The police are in attendance and have made a number of arrests,’ he said. ‘I will remain in close contact with the police as they continue to investigate this incident.’
A Met Police spokesman said: ‘At around 14:15 on Thursday, September 10, officers were called to reports of an altercation on Bromley High Street.
‘Officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance and found four men with stab wounds.
‘Three of them were taken to hospital where they are receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. One is in critical condition.
‘Seven men were arrested and they all remain in custody.
‘Police enquiries continue and there is not believed to be any wider threat to the public.
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We were called at 2.19pm today to reports of a stabbing on Bromley High Street, Bromley.
‘We sent ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and an advanced paramedic.
‘We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance. We treated four patients at the scene and took them all to hospital’.
Anyone with information has been asked to contact the police force by calling 101 and quoting 4008/10SEP.
Alternatively, those who want to report anonymously can do so by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A KFC spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that a serious incident took place this afternoon in our Bromley High Street restaurant.
‘We are working with the police on their ongoing investigation. Our priority is supporting our team members and customers at this difficult time’
