An urgent manhunt is under way after a 17-year-old boy was attacked by a machete-wielding gang of thugs in an east London park.
Officers from Met Police were called to Pennyfields Park, in Poplar, Tower Hamlets, at 5.45pm on Wednesday following reports of a stabbing.
Footage of the incident, which has since gone viral on social media, shows a group of hooded thugs launching an attack on a teenager.
Wearing hoodies and tracksuit bottoms, the video shows the group throwing a boy to the ground before kicking and punching him.
One hooded thug then appears to slash at the teenager with a machete as he raises his hand to block the blow.
The video ends with the group leaving the park as the teenager sits on the ground and people wander over to help.
It marks the second filmed machete-related incident in just two days, following a violent clash on Monday evening when a group of thugs armed with foot-long knives were caught on camera fighting on a Tube station platform.
Video footage, taken by a commuter on the Tube, appeared to show two teenagers lunging towards each other while they shouted threats.
Officers from British Transport Police attended the scene and a 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife.
It comes amid growing alarm over the scale of knife crime. A total of 262 lives were lost to knife violence in England and Wales last year, including 52 people under the age of 25.
Some 55,008 knife-related offences were recorded by forces in England and Wales in the 12 months to September 2024.
This is up 4% from 52,969 offences in the previous 12 months, and is almost level with the 55,170 offences in the pre-Covid year ending March 2020.
Just after 9pm on Saturday, a gang of 50 to 70 youths launched a horrifying knife attack in east London after crashing a school birthday party.
Horrific footage posted online showed the moment panicked children fled for their lives after thugs armed with knives and machetes burst into a girl’s private 16th birthday celebration held in the rented hall of Elm Park Primary School, Hornchurch.
Referencing the incident in Poplar, a spokesperson for Met Police said: “On Wednesday, 26 March at 17:45hrs police were called to Pennyfields Park, Poplar following reports of a stabbing.
“Police attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service who treated a boy for stab wounds.
“He was taken to a near-by hospital, where his injuries were later confirmed to be non-life changing/threatening.
“At this early stage, there have been no arrests.
“Officers are currently conducting urgent enquiries, if you have any information that may assist then please come forward by calling 101 stating CAD6073/26March.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
