A man has been arrested after several people were sprayed with what police believe was a form of pepper spray during an incident at a car park at Heathrow Airport.
Metropolitan Police officers were called at 8.11am on Sunday to reports of an assault at the multi-storey car park at Terminal 3. Armed officers attended the scene and found a number of victims who had been sprayed by a group of men, who then fled the area.
The London Ambulance Service also attended, and several people were taken to hospital. Police said their injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.
One suspect remains in custody as officers continue to search for others involved. The incident is not being treated as terrorism, Scotland Yard confirmed.
Heathrow Airport said its teams were responding to the incident and advised passengers to allow extra time when travelling and to check with their airlines for updates. Terminal 3 remains open, though police said there has been some traffic disruption in the area.
Commander Peter Stevens said the incident appeared to have involved people known to each other.
“At this stage, we believe the incident involved a group of people known to each other, with an argument escalating and resulting in a number of people being injured,” he said.
“Our officers responded quickly and there will be an increased police presence at Heathrow Airport throughout the morning to continue inquiries and ensure public safety.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference CAD 1803 7 DEC. Photo by Nick-D, Wikimedia commons.