Nottingham: Three killed, three injured in city centre attacks

Three people have been killed – and another three injured – in connected “horrific and tragic” attacks in Nottingham.

Two people, believed to have been stabbed, were found dead by police in Ilkeston Road just after 04:00 BST.

Officers were then called to Milton Street where a van had attempted to run over three people.

Police, who have arrested a man on suspicion of murder, later found a man dead in Magdala Road.

The 31-year-old is currently in custody and the city centre has been locked down.

Police said the three people involved in the van attack in Milton Street were being treated in hospital.

Warning: People may find some of the details in the story upsetting

Chief Constable Kate Meynell, from Nottinghamshire Police, said the force believed all three incidents were linked.

“This is an horrific and tragic incident which has claimed the lives of three people,” she said.

“This investigation is at its early stages and a team of detectives is working to establish exactly what has happened.

“We ask the public to be patient while inquiries continue.”

An eyewitness told the BBC he witnessed a young man and young woman being stabbed in Ilkeston Road, close to the junction with Bright Street, at about 04:00.

The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said he heard “awful, blood-curdling screams” and saw a man dressed in black, with a hood and rucksack, “grappling with some people”.

“It was a girl, and a man or boy she was with – they looked quite young,” he said.

“She was screaming ‘help!’ I just wish I’d shouted something out of the window to unnerve the assailant.

“I saw him stab the lad first and then the woman. It was repeated stabbing – four or five times. The lad collapsed in the middle of the road.

“The girl stumbled towards a house and didn’t move. The next minute she had disappeared down the side of a house, and that’s where they found her.”

Witness Lynn Haggitt said she saw a van hitting two people in the city centre.

“At half past five I saw a van pull up at the side of me,” she said. “It was white, all white. There was a police car behind it coming up slowly, no flashing lights.

“The man in the driver’s seat looked in his mirror and saw the police car behind him.”

She said the van then drove up to “the corner of the street and went into two people”.

“The lady ended up on the kerb, and then he backed up the white van and he went, speeded up Parliament Street with the police cars following him,” she added.

Nic Chuter lives in Mapperley Road, close to the junction of Woodborough Road, not far from where a man was found dead in Magdala Road.

The former emergency planner said he was greeted by armed police officers as he left the house.

He said: “[The] first thing we saw this morning when I took the children to nursery was someone calling me over with a very large gun saying ‘hello, what are you up to?’

“We’re not able to use the car as it’s being counted as part of a crime scene, so everything within the cordon is staying put.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak thanked the emergency services and said he was being updated on developments.

“My thoughts are with those injured, and the family and loved ones of those who have lost their lives,” he said.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she was “shocked and saddened” by the deaths, adding she had spoken to Nottinghamshire Police’s chief constable and was “receiving regular updates”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also sent his “thoughts to all those affected and to the emergency services who are responding”.

Alex Norris, Labour MP for Nottingham North, tweeted: “Awful news for our city to wake up to today.

“Our community’s thoughts and prayers are with all those affected.

“Our gratitude is with our blue light responders for their work today also.”

Hayley Compton, BBC Radio Nottingham

This is normally an incredibly busy part of the city, it is where all of the buses come in.

There is a huge police presence and lots of people around wondering what is going on, trying to make their way into work, into college, into school.

It is a huge incident for the city and I have seen at least 40-50 police officers at the two cordons I have visited.

The police are talking to people, reassuring them and making sure they know where they’re going. Most questions are being answered simply with “there has been a major incident”.

A number of roads in the city have been closed while investigations take place. These are:

Are you in the area? Did you witness the incidents? Only if it safe to do so, you can share your experiences by emailing [email protected].

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