London Stabbing Leaves Four Injured, One Critical

Seven people have been arrested after four men were stabbed in south-east London, the Metropolitan Police said.

One of the men was in a critical condition in hospital, while the other three were being treated for injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

Stabbing Reported On Bromley High Street

Emergency services were called at about 14:20 BST to Bromley High Street following reports of a stabbing.

A witness said they saw a man armed with a machete during an altercation near the KFC restaurant.

A KFC spokesperson confirmed a “serious incident” had occurred at its Bromley High Street site and that an altercation began there. The company said it was helping police and “supporting our team members and customers at this difficult time”.

Police Response And Arrests

Police said seven arrests had been made. Officers remained at the scene and said there was not believed to be any wider threat to the public.

Bromley High Street was closed both ways between Ringers Road and Ethelbert Road while the incident was dealt with.

Witnesses described a significant emergency response. One resident said multiple police vehicles arrived and that around 10 officers could be seen on foot. They added that further emergency services were mobilised, with several fire engines arriving within about half an hour and an air support unit also seen overhead.

Others said they observed drones and helicopters, along with the London Air Ambulance, at the scene.

Witness Accounts From The Area

A witness who did not want to be named said a fight started outside the KFC, with people partly inside and partly outside the building.

They said a man in a grey tracksuit pulled out a machete and ran further into the restaurant while holding it up, prompting people nearby to flee. The witness said they did not turn back until they reached the nearby shopping centre, where they saw the man run away down a road with someone who was injured.

Georgiana, the manager of the Merkur Slots gambling shop on the High Street, said she saw a fight “spill out” onto the road. She said she locked three customers inside her premises while waiting for the situation to settle, and that the shop remained closed.

Public Messages And Council Comments

Peter Fortune, the Conservative MP for Bromley and Biggin Hill, said on X that residents would have “safety concerns” and that he would remain in contact with police as they investigated.

Liberal Democrat councillor Graeme Casey said the area had benefited from a “robust response” involving blue-light services arriving quickly, adding that police are “quite thinly stretched” in London.

Other people at the scene described the incident as frightening and unsettling, with one resident saying police appeared to have the situation under control.

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11 September 2026