A “heroic” British man has been praised by the mayor of Amsterdam after he helped to stop a suspected knifeman.
Five people were injured during an attack in central Amsterdam on Thursday afternoon before the assailant was overpowered by a tourist near the city’s Dam Square, Dutch police said.
Mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema welcomed the British man, who did not want his name to be made public, at her official residence on Friday to thank him for his actions.
A spokesperson for the mayor said: “Mayor Halsema received the man who overpowered the suspect at the official residence this afternoon.
“She spoke to him and of course thanked him for his heroic actions.
“He indicated that he does not need media attention at this time and is mainly concerned about the victims.”
Those injured were identified as a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man from the US, a 73-year-old woman from Belgium, a 26-year-old man from Poland and a 19-year-old Dutch woman from Amsterdam.
Authorities said in a statement that no motive had yet been established for the attack and the victims may have been targeted at random.
“The police investigation is in full swing and has full priority at the moment,” Ms Halsema said in a statement on Thursday.
“We hope to soon get more clarity about the background of this horrible stabbing.”
She added: “Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and loved ones.”
Last year, the city experienced several stabbings attributed to people with mental health issues.
Amsterdam set up a hotline last month for residents to report concerns about irrational behaviour.
