Linda Serck
BBC South

Despite the attack taking place in a walled park on one side of the town centre, all major streets into Reading have been cordoned off.

This is forcing people to take a long detour around the edge of town to get to Broad Street, the main shopping street.

One of the policemen patrolling the cordon said it would only be for today, because there was blood in some of the roads.

Lawrence Wort was in Forbury Gardens when the attack started. Speaking to the BBC's Linda Serck, he had this to say about what he saw:

"The park was pretty full, a lot of people sat around drinking with friends when one lone person walked through, suddenly shouted some unintelligible words and went round a large group of around 10, trying to stab them.

"He stabbed three of them and then turned and started running towards me, when we turned and started running."

"When he realised that he couldn’t catch us he tried to stab another group sat down, he got one person. Then, when everyone was starting to run, he ran out of the park."

The following Reading roads are closed following yesterday's stabbings:

• IDR Junction with Napier road to IDR Junction Kings Road, Forbury Road/ Watlington Street.
• The Forbury
• Friar Street junction with Blagrave Street to junction with Greyfriars
• Blagrave Road junction with Valpy Street to junction with Friar Street.
• Abbots Walk
• Friar Street
• Station Road
• West Street
• Abbey street to the junction of Abbey Square and Abbots Walk

Image source, Frank Blackwell

The Rt Rev Olivia Graham, Bishop of Reading, said she was "heartbroken".

She said: "Like everybody I imagine listening to the news I was deeply, deeply shocked and heartbroken that something like this could happen on a warm Saturday evening just as people were starting to socialise again.

The Black Lives Matter rally had gone ahead without any incidents, everybody had dispersed, and people were just enjoying themselves.

And the suddenly in a second, in a moment, life changes for so many people."

Marie Castro from Slough works at a Costa coffee shop in Reading, she said: "I was scared to be here but I have to be here for work."

The incident, she said "doesn't seem right for Reading", "it's multicultural and really friendly. I was really shocked when I heard the news".

Mark Robbins, who has lived in Reading for a few years,said he felt "shock" when he heard the news.

"I was just coming home, I got on the bus and saw numerous police cars and vans going around the corner. I've never seen any problems here. It seems quiet."

Linda Serck
BBC South

Arriving at 8.30am this morning, Reading appears desolate and in mourning.

Large areas outside the gardens are taped up, and there are not many people here -mainly just press and TV cameras.

A strong wind is rattling litter in grey, deserted streets, most of which are being patrolled by armed police.

Commuters are struggling to get to work as so many roads have been cordoned off with police tape.

The few people who were arriving at Reading station expressed their shock at what had happened just a short distance away.

It is not being treated as terror-related, say police, after a man is arrested on suspicion of murder.

The attacks happened at Forbury Gardens in the town centre, a short distance from the railway station.

Large parts of central Reading remain cordoned off on Sunday morning, as these pictures from the BBC reporter on the scene show.

The leader of Reading Council, Jason Brock, said it was “an entirely senseless and horrific attack”.

He said: “We don’t know anything more about the motive at the moment, of course there is an ongoing police investigation, I don’t think it would be helpful to speculate further than that.

“For our part at the council, we’re offering our full support to the police and to other emergency services as they progress things this morning, of course we all want to know more, and I’m quite sure that the police, as more information is available, will be sharing that.

“The Black Lives Matter event had finished some three hours previous, and was by all accounts a very well-conducted, peaceful demonstration, and this is not a connected attack with that whatsoever.”

Good morning. We will be chronicling local reaction and updates to the fatal stabbings that occurred on Saturday night in central Reading.