A robbery occurred on the 7th at the parking lot of London Heathrow Airport, resulting in 21 people requiring medical attention.
The incident took place at Terminal 3, and for several hours afterward, traffic to the airport by cars and buses was affected.
The Metropolitan Police issued a statement saying: “Officers arrived at the scene within nine minutes of the report and arrested a 31-year-old man suspected of assault. Police are still investigating other suspects.”
The statement quoted Superintendent Stevens as saying: “At present, we believe a woman’s suitcase was robbed by four men, who sprayed her with a substance believed to be pepper spray. The incident took place inside a parking lot elevator, and the spray affected people both inside and outside the elevator.”
Stevens reiterated that this appeared to be “an isolated incident between parties known to each other.” Police currently do not consider the incident to be terrorism-related.
The London Ambulance Service treated 21 people at the scene, including a 3-year-old girl. According to emergency services, five people were taken to hospital, but their injuries are not life-threatening.
In addition, a Heathrow Airport spokesperson said that due to the incident, the Central Terminal Area tunnel was closed for safety reasons, and shuttle bus services to the long-term parking lots were affected by traffic congestion.