Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Manchester stabbing: Police restrain suspect

The stabbing of three people - including a police officer - in Manchester is being treated as a terrorist investigation, police say.

A man, aged 25, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack on New Year's Eve at the city's Victoria railway station.

Two knives were recovered at the scene and a property is being searched in the Cheetham Hill area.

The BBC understands the security services are assisting police.

The three victims were taken to a nearby hospital with "serious" but not life-threatening injuries.

A woman, aged in her 50s, suffered injuries to her face and stomach, while a man - also in his 50s - has injuries to his stomach.

Image caption Police raided a house in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester

The officer, a police sergeant in his 30s, sustained knife wounds to his shoulder during the attack, but has since been released from hospital.

Manchester Victoria railway station has reopened after the stabbings.

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), told reporters at a briefing at force HQ the suspect lived in the Cheetham Hill area of the city.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption GMP Chief Constable Ian Hopkins says the incident is being treated as "a terrorist investigation"

Earlier, officers raided a newly built semi-detached house on Schoolside Close, a mile north of Manchester city centre.

Resident Nousha Babaakachel, 40, said a Somali family lived at the address, a mother and father of five, in their 40s, who came to live in the street about 12 years ago from the Netherlands.

She said two of the four sons were at university, one works at Manchester Airport and the youngest is back in Somalia. They also have a daughter.

Both parents attend the local Khiza Mosque.

'Frenzied attack'

At the briefing, Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: "I know that the events of last night will have affected many people and caused concern.

"That the incident happened so close to the scene of the terrorist attack on 22 May 2017 makes it even more dreadful."

Mr Jackson added that "given how frenzied the attack was" officers were considering the mental health of the arrested suspect.

"There is wide reporting in the press about what the attacker allegedly said during the incident and because of this we want to be clear, we are treating this as a terrorism investigation," he said.

He explained officers were "retaining an open mind in relation to the motivation for this attack", and said there was no information "to suggest at this time others are involved".

Police recovered two knives at the scene but do not yet know if both were used in the attack.

Emergency services praised

Manchester Metrolink said services to the station were operating "to the normal pattern" but advised of "minor delays".

Officers said counter terrorism police were leading the inquiry.

Image copyright AFP Image caption The station was shut after the attack and police remain at the scene

Prime Minister Theresa May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn both said the victims were in their thoughts, with Mrs May praising the "courageous response" of the emergency services, and Mr Corbyn highlighting their "bravery".

The Home Secretary Sajid Javid said he wished those injured a "full recovery".

ACC Sean O'Callaghan, from British Transport Police, said he was "incredibly proud" of the four officers who detained the suspect.

They were "fearless, running towards danger and preventing further harm coming to passengers," he said.

BBC 5 live producer Sam Clack, who had been at the station at the time, said he saw a man stabbed on a tram platform at the station "feet from me".

Mr Clack also said he heard the knifeman shouting "Allah" during the attack, along with a slogan criticising Western governments.

Image copyright AFP Image caption A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

He added he was "close to jumping on the tracks" as the attacker had a "long kitchen knife".

Greater Manchester Police, which declared the attack a "critical incident", said it understood that people would be worried but there was "no intelligence to suggest that there is any wider threat at this time".

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said the attacks appeared to be an "isolated incident".

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham: Stabbings appear to be "an isolated incident"

Mr Clack said he first "heard this most blood-curdling scream and looked down the platform".

"It looked like they were having a fight, but the woman was screaming in this blood-curdling way. I saw police in high-vis come towards him. He came towards me.

"I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good, 12in blade. It was just fear, pure fear."

Image copyright AFP Image caption Police said there was "no intelligence to suggest that there is any wider threat at this time"

He said police used pepper spray and a Taser on the detained man, who he said had been "resisting arrest".

He said he saw "six or seven" officers on top of the man, who he described as "very skittish".

"He was very aggressive and very intent on causing more harm than he actually did," he said.

"It was very, very scary."

Image caption A man has been arrested and officers remain at the scene

Police said the woman had injuries to her face and abdomen and the man had injuries to his abdomen.

The New Year firework display in Albert Square went ahead.

You may also like:</s>A man who was arrested after three people were stabbed at Manchester Victoria station has been detained under the Mental Health Act.

Police said the 25-year-old suspect was being assessed by specialist medical staff over the New Year's Eve incident, which is being treated as terror related.

It happened shortly before 9pm and two knives were later recovered from the scene, with a search also still being carried out at an address in the Cheetham Hill area.

Police added there was "nothing to suggest the involvement of other people in this attack, but confirming this remains a main priority for the investigation".

Earlier on Tuesday, police said they were keeping an open mind about the motive of the suspect, who has not yet been confirmed to be a British national.

The three victims - a woman and a man in their 50s, and a British Transport Police (BTP) sergeant in his 30s - were taken to a nearby hospital in a "serious" condition but their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

The woman suffered injuries to her face and stomach and the man had wounds to his stomach, and both are still being treated in hospital.

The BTP sergeant was also treated after he was stabbed in the shoulder, but has since been released.

Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted on Tuesday: "My thoughts are with those who were injured in the suspected terrorist attack in Manchester last night. I thank the emergency services for their courageous response."

Also posting on Twitter, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "Thinking of those injured in Manchester last night, their families and loved ones. Thanks to our emergency services for their professionalism and bravery in dealing with this suspected terror attack."

Great Manchester mayor Andy Burnham also paid tribute the heroism of the police and said the "vile attack" appeared to be an isolated incident.

Sam Clack, a BBC producer who works in the city, was on a platform at the station when he witnessed the attack.

He said: "I just heard this most blood curdling scream and looked down the platform. What it looked like was a guy in his 60s with a woman of similar age and another guy all dressed in black.

"It looked like they were having a fight, but she was screaming in this blood curdling way. I saw police in high-viz come towards him. He came towards me. I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good, 12-inch blade. It was just fear, pure fear."

Mr Clack said police officers used a Taser and pepper spray before "six or seven" of them jumped on the man.

Ian Hopkins, chief constable of Great Manchester Police, called the incident a "horrific attack on people simply out to enjoy the New Year's Eve celebrations".

He said British Transport Police officers had showed "incredible bravery" in tackling and detaining the suspect.

The man is believed to have recently been living at the address being searched in Cheetham Hill.

:: Anyone with pictures or video of the incident is asked to send it to fib@gmp.police.uk. Anyone with information can call 0161 8563400.</s>According to the Greater Manchester Police, the suspect is being held and assessed for mental health issues.

On Monday evening, three people, a couple and a policeman, received stab wounds in a knife attack at Victoria station. The suspected attacker was detained minutes after the attack and is currently in custody in Manchester. The policeman was discharged from the hospital earlier on Tuesday, while the couple "are still being treated in hospital for their serious injuries," police said.

UK police added that they were "currently searching an address in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester which is believed to be where the man had most recently been living."

READ MORE: Seventh Suspect Arrested in Connection with Manchester Arena Bombing

Police also noted that the attack took place very close to the scene of the May 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, killed 23 people, including the attacker.</s>A 25-year-old man arrested last night after three people were stabbed at Manchester Victoria Station has been assessed by specialist medical staff and detained under the Mental Health Act, police have revealed.

However, officers have said 'the counter terrorism investigation remains ongoing'.

In a statement, Greater Manchester Police also said: "There is nothing to suggest the involvement of other people in this attack, but confirming this remains a main priority for the investigation."

Meanwhile, police are continuing to search an address in Cheetham Hill.

A man and a woman were seriously injured and a police officer suffered a stab wound to the shoulder during the attack on Monday night.

The couple are expected to remain in hospital for some time, however their injuries are not thought to be life threatening. The BTP officer has since been released from hospital.

The 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder at the scene.

IN PICTURES: Three injured in knife attack at Victoria

The full text of Greater Manchester Police's latest statement said: "The 25 year old man arrested last night (31 January 2018) following the incident at Manchester Victoria Station has been assessed by specialist medical staff and detained under the Mental Health Act.

"The Counter Terrorism investigation remains ongoing. There is nothing to suggest the involvement of other people in this attack, but confirming this remains a main priority for the investigation.

"The search of the address in Cheetham Hill continues."</s>The Manchester Victoria stabbing suspect has been detained under the mental health act, police announced tonight.

The 25-year-old was arrested after three people, including a British Transport Police officer, were injured in a frenzied knife attack at the train station on New Year's Eve.

The man has since been assessed by specialist medical staff and detained under the Mental Health Act.

"There is nothing to suggest the involvement of other people in this attack, but confirming this remains a main priority for the investigation.

"The search of the address in Cheetham Hill continues."

Police confirmed in the early hours of this morning they were treating the attack as a terror probe.

It came as screams were heard as a man allegedly knifed a couple and a British Transport Police (BTP) officer at the busy station just before 9pm last night.

A Snapchat video appeared to show the suspect shouting "Allahu Akbar", meaning "God is most great", as he was surrounded by police.

Today, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) told a media briefing that senior officers were treating the incident as a 'terror investigation'.

They are now working to get "the full facts of what happened".

The force also said that officers were searching an address in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, in relation to the probe, where the suspect is believed to have most recently been living.

“Just before 9pm the British Transport Police officers at Victoria Train Station responded to a man armed with a knife and swiftly detained him," Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters this morning.

"The officers acted with incredible bravery in tackling the armed attacker at the busy Metrolink station and ensured he was immediately detained."

He added: "We are treating this as a terrorist investigation which is being led by counter terrorism officers with support from Greater Manchester Police.

"They were working throughout the night to piece together the details of what happened and to identify the man who was arrested.

"This detailed work will continue and we are currently searching an address in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester which is believed to be where the man had most recently been living.

"Our work will continue to ensure we get to the full facts of what happened and why it took place."

Police said the wounded couple were still being treated in hospital for their "serious" injuries following the "horrific" New Year's Eve attack.

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson told the briefing that the pair, in their 50s, suffered multiple stab wounds in the "frenzied" attack.

The "brave" BTP officer, who is in his 30s and was stabbed in the shoulder, was also hospitalised but has since been released.

Mr Jackson added: "We believe we have identified the man in custody.

"In fact we are currently searching an address in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, we commenced that in the last 30 to 40 minutes.

"We know the attacker arrived at the location and soon after he attacked two people, a man and a woman, who have suffered very serious injuries. Whilst serious thankfully these are not life threatening."

The couple are expected to remain in hospital for some time, he said.

He continued: "There is wide reporting in the press about what the attacker allegedly said during the incident and because of this we want to be clear, we are treating this as a terrorism investigation.

"However it's really important to stress we are retaining an open mind in relation to the motivation for this attack.

"We have nothing to suggest at this time others are involved."

Ast Chf Const Jackson told the briefing that police recovered two knives but do not yet know if both were used in the attack.

Witnesses had earlier described how "hero" officers ran through the station and hurled themselves at the suspect without hesitation.

Police raced over as horrified commuters heard a "bloodcurdling scream" and a man was allegedly spotted with a 12-inch blade.

Determined to protect the public, officers reportedly used a Taser and pepper spray before "six or seven" of them 'jumped' on the suspect.

They are then said to have held him down on the ground.

One shocked witness, called Bekky, told Mirror Online last night: "I’m in awe of the BTP, as soon as I heard the screaming they were running to the scene to protect everyone.

Another witness described how police 'came towards' the suspect.

"At one point one of the police officers fired the Taser but it missed him," recalled Sam Clack, who had been waiting for a tram home.

"Then he got pepper sprayed and Tasered and he went to the ground."

BTP Assistant Chief Constable Sean O'Callaghan said: "I am incredibly proud of the four officers who were immediately on scene last night, detaining a man who was wielding a knife.

"They were fearless, running towards danger and preventing further harm coming to passengers.

"Unfortunately however, one of our police officers suffered a stab injury to their shoulder and we're all relieved that this is not more serious.

"It is good news that he has now been discharged from hospital, we are all wishing him a speedy recovery."

GMP had earlier described the 'stabbed' couple's injuries.

The force said the woman had suffered injuries to her face and abdomen, while the man sustained injuries to his abdomen.

A spokesman added: "The police sergeant... was taken to hospital with a stab wound to his shoulder following the attack at the station.

"Within minutes, a man was arrested near to Metrolink platforms A and B on suspicion of attempted murder."

Victoria station is situated next to Manchester Arena, where suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people on May 22.

Chf Const Hopkins said: "I know that the events last night will have affected many people and caused concern.

"That the incident happened so close to the scene of the terrorist attack on 22 May 2017 makes it even more dreadful."

GMP had earlier said there would be a greater police presence around the station today, but that there was no increased threat to people's safety.</s>The terror suspect who was arrested after a “frenzied” New Year’s Eve stabbing which left three people hurt has been detained under the Mental Health Act.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the 25 year-old, who is being held on suspicion of attempted murder, has been assessed by specialist medical staff. Police are searching his home.

“There is nothing to suggest the involvement of other people in this attack, but confirming this remains a main priority for the investigation.

“The search of the address in Cheetham Hill continues.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May joined British Transport Police in commending the emergency services for containing the threat during the incident, which occurred at around 9pm on Monday at Manchester Victoria Station.

Police at Victoria Station in Manchester following the incident (PA)</s>The suspect arrested over the stabbings at Manchester Victoria Station on New Year’s Eve has been detained under the Mental Health Act, police have confirmed.

Greater Manchester Police said the 25-year-old man from Cheetham Hill, Manchester had been assessed by medical staff on Tuesday afternoon after being taken into custody yesterday evening.

The man, who has yet to be identified, stabbed three people including a police officer in Manchester Victoria station on New Year's Eve while screaming 'Allahu Akbar'.

Anti-terror officers raided his home in the city today and spoke to neighbours who said they believe the house was inhabited by a Somali couple.

Neighbours also said the couple have four or five children, who reportedly moved with their parents to the UK from the Netherlands around 12 years ago.

Footage of the aftermath of the 'frenzied' attack at Manchester's Victoria Station last night shows a man being pinned down by five police officers, with blood stains on the pavement.

Another video shows the suspect shouting 'Allahu Akbar', meaning 'God is most great' in Arabic, as he was put in the back of a police van. He was also heard screaming: 'Long live the Caliphate', a reference to the enclave carved out by terror group ISIS.

A witness said he also shouted: 'As long as you keep bombing other countries, this sort of s*** is going to keep happening.'

Nousha Babaakachel, a neighbour of the home raided, said a Somali family live at the address.

She said the couple have two sons are at university, one working at Manchester Airport and the youngest son is back in Somalia. They also have a daughter.

Witnesses to last night's events have praised the British Transport Police officer who was stabbed in the shoulder after 'bravely and immediately' confronting the attacker during a routine patrol.

BTP Assistant Chief Constable Sean O'Callaghan said: 'I am incredibly proud of the four officers who were immediately on scene last night, detaining a man who was wielding a knife.

'They were fearless, running towards danger and preventing further harm coming to passengers.

'Unfortunately however, one of our police officers suffered a stab injury to their shoulder and we're all relieved that this is not more serious. It is good news that he has now been discharged from hospital, we are all wishing him a speedy recovery.'

Prime Minister Theresa May said: 'My thoughts are with those who were injured in the suspected terrorist attack in Manchester last night. I thank the emergency services for their courageous response.'

Home Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted on Tuesday evening: 'Just had an update from @TerrorismPolice about last night's £ManchesterVictoria incident and their investigation. Can't praise police and emergency services response enough - swift and brave.'

A witness told the Daily Mirror: 'As soon as I heard the screaming they were running to the scene to protect everyone. They are heroes.'

Police said a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody as his home is searched. They could not confirm whether he had previously been flagged to them.

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson said a couple in their 50s suffered multiple stab wounds in the 'frenzied' and 'random' attack around 9pm, during which the attacker wielded two knives.

Mr Jackson said: 'We believe we have identified the man in custody. In fact we are currently searching an address in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester.

'We know the attacker arrived at the location and soon after he attacked two people, a man and a woman, who have suffered very serious injuries. Whilst serious, thankfully these are not life threatening.'

The station where the attack unfolded is next to Manchester Arena, where suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people on May 22. The area was reopened after a cordon was lifted this morning.

Witness Sam Clack, who came within touching distance of the attacker, said he heard the man shout 'Allah' as he launched the attack.

Mr Clack, a BBC producer, was on a platform at Manchester Victoria railway station waiting for a tram home when he witnessed the attack.

The 38-year-old said: 'I just heard this most blood-curdling scream and looked down the platform. What it looked like was a guy in his 60s with a woman of similar age and another guy all dressed in black.

'It looked like they were having a fight but she was screaming in this blood curdling way. I saw police in high-vis come towards him.

'He came towards me. I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good, 12-inch blade. It was just fear, pure fear.'

Mr Clack said police officers used a Taser and pepper spray before 'six or seven' officers jumped on the man and held him down.

He said he heard the suspect saying: 'As long as you keep bombing other countries this sort of s*** is going to keep happening.'

Mr Clack said it looked like both the man in his 60s and the woman with him had been stabbed, but both were conscious and were walked to a waiting ambulance.

He said he also heard the knifeman shouting 'Allah' before and during the attack.

Police appeared 'within seconds' and the knifeman backed down the platform towards where Mr Clack was standing alone.

Mr Clack described how he feared the man would attack him.

'I just had a feeling in the pit of my stomach,' he said. 'Here's a man who's very agitated, angry, skittish. It appears he had already attacked someone. He had police coming towards him and he's coming towards me.

'I thought what I need to do is jump onto the tracks because next thing he's going to do is turn around and stab me. He's looking about, side to side and jumpy.

'At one point one of the police officers fired the Taser but it missed him. Then he got pepper sprayed and tasered and he want to the ground.

'The guy, his exact words were, he said: 'As long as you keep bombing other countries, this sort of s*** is going to keep happening'.'

He added: 'It was scary. I have never been so scared in my life. Someone with a knife six to eight feet away, he had just stabbed someone. It was the proximity.

'It just highlights the fact that it can happen anywhere. It's just a guy with a knife on a platform. It can happen anywhere. Anyone can do it.'

A police sergeant in his 30s injured in the attack has been released from hospital, while the other two victims are currently receiving treatment.

A British Transport Police spokesperson said the woman has injuries to her face and abdomen and the man has injuries to his abdomen, while a BTP officer has a stab wound in his shoulder - all of which are described as 'serious but not life-threatening'.

In footage posted on Snapchat reportedly showing the suspect being put in the back of a police van, he can be heard shouting 'Allahu Akbar' as he is led away by officers.

Another eyewitness, named only as Rebecca, told Mirror Online: 'I heard the most bloodcurdling scream I've ever heard and turned to see everyone running towards me.

'Some guy told me to run. 'Keep running' was all he kept saying - 'just keep running'. I jumped off the tram track and started to run down the tram lines and hid behind some concrete slabs under one of the arches.

The Metrolink has been cordoned off and the station is currently shut down while police investigate the scene.

The attack took place just a few hundred meters away from the Manchester Arena, scene of the deadly bombing in May 2017 which killed 23 revellers at an Ariana Grande concert.

British Transport Police said in a statement: 'Officers are attending Manchester Victoria station following reports of a man wielding a knife. We received the call at 8.52pm on Monday, 31 December.

'A man has been detained and two members of the public, a man and a woman have been taken to hospital with knife injuries.

'A BTP officer is also receiving treatment for a stab wound to the shoulder. British Transport Police remain at the scene along with colleagues from Greater Manchester Police and the North West Ambulance Service.'

ISIS urge British extremists to carry out 'horror and misery' UK attack during festive season

by Larisa Brown, Middle East Correspondent for the Daily Mail

Islamic State jihadists yesterday used encrypted apps to urge extremists in Britain to carry out a knife attack in Westminster during the festive season.

They told members of closed groups on the encrypted Telegram messaging app to bring 'horror and misery' to non-believers over the New Year, it can be revealed.

One image circulated showed a crowd of people outside Big Ben watching fireworks with a man carrying a bloodied knife. There was also a splatter of blood over the image of Parliament.

In Arabic and also translated in English, it read: 'Hunt them O Muwahid (a believer in Allah).'

It had chilling echoes of the Westminster terror attack in March 2017 when Briton Khalid Masood drove a car into pedestrians before fatally stabbing an unarmed police officer.

In a separate document posted on the app, known for its use by terrorists, IS extremists explained in graphic detail who to target with a knife.

The terror manual suggested targeting a 'drunken kafir (non-believer)' or someone 'in an alley close a night club or another place of debauchery'.

'It may also help to carry a baton or some kind of concealable blunt object, such as a baseball bat, to strike the victim's head', it said.

This would immobilise him 'before cutting his throat or stabbing him in other lethal areas to finish him off', it recommended.

The call to inflict bloodshed in Europe has significantly increased in recent days, with the group appearing to have a 'new energy', according to intelligence experts.

The documents were circulated in closed groups on Telegram and intercepted by cyber intelligence company Global Intelligence Insight.

They said most of the accounts are managed by individuals with extensive operational experience, both in recruitment and radicalisation.

'According to our analysis we have been seeing a growing increase in the level of threat that has been used,' a spokesman for the company said.

There were also threats against the US, France, Italy and Spain in numerous languages including in Arabic, English and Russian.

Some of the Telegram groups have hundreds of members, others with just a few which are used for 'operational tasking'.

They are also actively pushing and circulating old terror manuals from Rumiyah Magazine.

These are urging extremists to inflict mass casualties with vans such as the one used in the London Bridge attack.

Vasco Amador, CEO of GGII, who intercepted the terrorists communications, said: 'They are putting a lot of effort into increasing their online reach in order to stimulate terror attacks and recent trends in activity are greater than we have seen for some time.

'There are thousands of people interacting in theses communications channels all over the world and it is clear there are British supporters in there as well.'

Philip Ingram MBE, a former Colonel in British military intelligence and chairman of GII, said there was a seeming 'new energy' in IS's online radicalisation efforts.

He said: 'The volume of information that is circulating about how to carry out attacks, where to acquire weapons, how to manufacture explosives, how to maintain security, is huge.

'Extremist terrorism has not gone and the threats to Europe and the UK through 2019 will remain extremely high.'

IS has nearly been defeated militarily in Syria and Iraq but many have fled to countries such as Afghanistan.

There are fears battle-hardened jihadists could also try to return to the UK.</s>It’s time we realised that good mental health is as important as being physically fit. People suffering from depression and anxiety need to be heard. They need to be told that they’re loved. The year 2018 has been an eye opening year. The increasing number of suicide cases compelled people to have meaningful talks on the disease.

Young people whose smiling faces hid inexplicable pain took their lives after struggling from depression. This year we need to take pledge to convince people who are struggling with mental health issues to seek help and live a life with good mental health.</s>Sir, – Mr John Farrelly, chief executive of the Mental Health Commission, is correct that more needs to be done to improve mental health services (“Legacy of disrespect lingers in our mental health services”, Opinion & Analysis, December 27th). There is a global dimension to this issue. The World Health Organisation reports that, despite depression being the world’s leading cause of disability and 800,000 people dying by suicide annually, most people affected by mental illness – 75 per cent in many low-income countries – do not get the treatment they need. In addition, people with mental illness are at increased risk of unemployment, homelessness and imprisonment in many countries, including Ireland.

But there are reasons for optimism. Globally, suicide has fallen by 38 per cent since 1994 and many countries are stepping up to the challenge of mental illness in new and positive ways. In May 2018, India granted a legally binding right to mental health care to all of its 1.3 billion residents – one sixth of the planet’s population. Given the under-resourcing of services in India, the challenge is certainly great, but the vision is greater still.

In Ireland, too, rates of suicide are falling and our 2006 mental health policy, A Vision for Change, is currently being updated. The Mental Health Act 2001 is also being revised, to place greater emphasis on human rights. In March 2018, we ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and we are introducing new mental capacity legislation to provide greater voice to people with disabilities, including those with long-term mental illness.

Yes, we need to do much more, but there are signs of positive change. In the words of Martin Luther King, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”. – Yours, etc,</s>A man with a 'long knife' has stabbed at least three people in a frenzied attack at Manchester's Victoria Station.

British Transport Police (BTP) were called to the scene just before 9pm tonight as a man wielding a knife stabbed members of the public.

Two members of the public, a man and a woman, and a BTP officer were taken to hospital with stab injuries.

People travelling this evening feared it was a terror attack and were left shaken by the incident, reports our sister title the Daily Mirror .

Sam Clack, a producer at the BBC, tweeted how he nearly jumped on the tracks to get away from the knifeman.

He said: "Just been very close to the most terrifying thing. Man stabbed in Manchester Victoria station on tram platform.

"Feet from me, I was close to jumping on the tracks as attacker had long kitchen knife. Totally shaken. This is seriously messed up."

He described the incident as "so surreal and terrifying" and said "hope I never see anything like that again".

BTP said in a statement: "Officers are attending Manchester Victoria station following reports of a man wielding a knife.

"We received the call at 8.52pm on Monday, 31 December.

"A man has been detained and two members of the public, a man and a woman have been taken to hospital with knife injuries.

"A BTP officer is also receiving treatment for a stab wound to the shoulder.

"British Transport Police remain at the scene along with colleagues from Greater Manchester Police and the North West Ambulance Service."

BTP greater Manchester later added the station remains closed and officers are at the scene
Three people are injured after being stabbed in an attack at Manchester Victoria station. The attacker shouted "Allah" during the attack. The attack is being treated as a terror-related incident, police have confirmed, and due to concerns over his mental health, the suspect is being held under the Mental Health Act.