News Beat
Girl, 3, among 21 injured after woman robbed of suitcase in ‘pepper spray’ attack outside Heathrow airport
A three-year-old girl was among 21 people injured after a suspected pepper spray attack at Heathrow airport which caused severe travel disruption for passengers.
Armed police were called to the scene at around 8:11am on Sunday after reports that several people had been sprayed with the substance by a group of men in the multi-storey car park at the transport hub’s Terminal 3.
Five people were taken to hospital after 21 people were injured, London Ambulance Service said. Police said their injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.
Police believe the incident began after a woman was robbed of her suitcase in the car park lift by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance, believed to be pepper spray, in her direction. The incident is not believed to be related to terrorism or protest, police added.
A man, aged 31, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault and remains in custody. Officers were still tracing further suspects on Sunday.
The incident prompted travel chaos as trains and buses to the airport were halted and routes into the airport’s central area temporarily closed.
Travellers were advised to allow extra time, while holidaymakers later reported being stranded for hours at the airport’s bus stops.
The multi-storey car park where the incident unfolded is directly opposite the check-in area for Terminal 3.
Footage on social media appeared to show a man being handcuffed by an armed officer while another searched him.
Witness Tom Bate said he had been waiting to be picked up from the car park when he saw “young men dressed in black darting through the crowd”.
He said he felt a burning at the back of his throat after they left, with other people nearby beginning to cough.
“I’m so glad to hear now that it’s not terrorism because it felt like I was in the middle of an attack – it was pretty intense,” Mr Bate told the BBC.
By midday, dozens of passengers were waiting at the terminal’s bus stop for shuttles to the long-stay car park and elsewhere.
One family, who did not wish to be named, said they had waited for three hours at the bus stop after their flight landed at around 8am.
Heathrow staff handed out bottled water to waiting passengers on Sunday afternoon. Rail passengers at Heathrow Terminal 2/3 station also faced long queues amid overcrowding.
At least 17 trains serving Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 were cancelled – or ran through without stopping.
Terminal 3 is used by Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and many other major carriers. British Airways has a presence at the terminal as well as its main base, Terminal 5.
The Metropolitan Police’s Commander Peter Stevens said: “Our team have been working at pace today to review CCTV from the area and speak with witnesses at the scene.
“At this stage, it’s understood that a woman was robbed of her suitcase by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction.
“This occurred within a car park lift, with those in the lift and surrounding area affected by the spray.
“Our officers are working to determine the full circumstances around what happened but we do believe this to be an isolated incident with those directly involved known to each other.
“We appreciate that this has been a concerning incident and I commend the actions of the emergency services and members of staff at Heathrow Airport.”
Shortly before midday a spokesperson for Heathrow airport said: “The incident at the multi storey car park in Terminal 3 has now been contained by the Metropolitan Police.
“Congestion remains on surrounding roads following the incident which we are working hard to resolve as quickly as possible and we are advising passengers to use public transport. There will be an increased police presence at Heathrow airport to maintain the safety of people in the area and reassure the public.”
Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, said: “The closure of access to two of Heathrow’s four terminals shows an abundance of caution by the authorities at what is regarded as a prime target for both terrorism and protest.
“Thousands of passengers are at risk of missing flights, because they will not be held for people who were caught up for an hour or more by the road and rail closures. Heathrow has little slack in the system, and planes must keep to schedule.
“The only exception is likely to be where flight crew are delayed in reaching the airport.”
At least one British Airways flight from Heathrow Terminal 3 to Bucharest was delayed by two hours, though BA has not confirmed if the incident was responsible. The late morning Qantas flight from T3 to Perth also ran about 70 minutes late.
Passengers who miss flights through no fault of their own have no protection under air passengers’ rights rules. But given the circumstances, airlines are likely to be rebooked on the first available alternative flight without penalty.
A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic said: “We advise customers to allow extra time when travelling to the airport. If any customers are delayed as a result of the disruption and are unable to make their flight, our teams can support with rebooking onto the next available service once they get in touch with us – either at the ticket desk or by calling in to our customer centre.”
National Highways previously said the M4 Spur Road had been closed as teams responded to a “serious incident”. In a post on X it confirmed the road had reopened and said the incident had been “resolved”.
In September, Heathrow Terminal 4 was evacuated after a passenger discharged a CS gas canister. Many flights were heavily delayed or cancelled.
