Teen held over 'religiously aggravated' gurdwara attack

A police presence was in place outside Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Gravesend on Friday morning

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and a religiously aggravated public order offence after two women were injured at a gurdwara in Gravesend.

Kent Police said it was called to Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Saddington Street, one of the largest Sikh complexes outside of India, at 20:10 BST on Thursday.

It added that it was reported "a male had entered the location and attempted to assault those in attendance while armed with a bladed weapon".

No-one was seriously injured, but the two women required medical attention for cuts and bruises.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said he was being "kept updated" about the attack, adding on X that "all communities must be safe in their places of worship".

The gurdwara was open on Friday, with morning services continuing as usual.

The force said it had recovered a bladed weapon from the scene, and officers were not looking for anyone else.

Management at Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara said police were called "immediately" after the incident

Det Supt Ian Dyball said it was being treated as an "isolated incident".

He said: "Patrols will remain in the area for reassurance and we thank the community for their ongoing support and assistance."

Officers remained outside the building on Friday morning while inquiries continued.

A spokesman for South East Coast Ambulance Service said three people were assessed at the scene before being taken to hospital.

An air ambulance helicopter also attended.

'It was really bad'

Avtar Singh said he helped tackle a person who brandished two swords in the Sikh temple.

He said: “I was grabbing his legs and twisting his feet to try to control him, then police put the handcuffs on – otherwise you would not have even got handcuffs on them.”

The 44-year-old said two girls had been attacked, including one bitten on the shoulder and on the hand.

He continued: “The way he was running and with two swords in his hand and hitting two public people already - it was really bad.”

In a statement posted on Facebook, the gurdwara's management team said the incident happened in one of its Darbar halls and it was "cooperating fully" with Kent Police.

"The person was spotted by the Gurdwara security team and police were called immediately," they said.

Gravesham MP Dr Lauren Sullivan said she was "shocked and saddened" by the incident and thanked the emergency services for their "swift" response.

"My thoughts are with those hurt, their family, and the community," she wrote on X.

John Burden, leader of Gravesham Borough Council, said it was "shocked and concerned at the events last night and [we] send our very best wishes to the two innocent bystanders who were injured".

He added that the council had an "incredibly close relationship" with the area's Sikh community and had offered its help and support.

'More wary'

Bhavan Kaur, a worshipper at the temple, told the BBC she and her family had “just left” before the attack on Thursday night.

“The police presence is making us feel a bit safer otherwise we just felt a bit vulnerable today,” she said.

She added: “Everyone’s just warning each other that this is what happened, we don’t know why it happened, but don’t worry.

“It’s a community spirit, we’ve all come together today to do some prayers. This isn’t going to stop us. We’ve just got to carry on and be vigilant and it’s just made us a bit more wary that’s all.”