British Museum: Man arrested after man stabbed nearby

Officers put up a tent on Great Russell Street next to the British Museum

A man has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) after a man was stabbed close to the British Museum.

The man was stabbed in the arm at the junction of Great Russell Street and Museum Street at about 10:00 BST. He was taken to hospital by paramedics.

An eyewitness told the BBC he had seen an "angry man" taking out a knife "like a machete" and "hitting a young man".

The museum was evacuated but has reopened with "raised" security.

This included "a heightened search operation", a spokesperson said.

Police said there was "no outstanding risk to the public" and it was not being treated as terror-related.

A Metropolitan Police cordon includes streets close to the museum, and tape was seen blocking off The Plough pub on the junction of Little Russell Street and Museum Street.

People stand behind a police cordon at the museum

The building was evacuated of visitors who filed out of the exit

The eyewitness said: "All the people there started to run scared.

"We started to run to the museum gate to tell the people there what was happening and to call the police.

"Everybody was telling them 'call the police, call the police, a man is stabbing a man'."

Visitors stood outside the museum during the police response

A 27-year-old American woman said she was about to enter the queue at the British Museum when she was told to leave by police because someone had been stabbed.

The visitor, from New York, was leaving a Starbucks directly across from the museum on Great Russell Street when police approached her.

"A cop directly in front of us told us we needed to leave and that the crime scene was large," she said.

"I heard that someone was stabbed and the ambulance was parked inside, near the grass area, and then rushed down the street, right by me, with police following behind," she added.

London Ambulance Service said: "We treated a man at the scene for an arm injury before taking him to a major trauma centre as a priority."

A police cordon was seen around The Plough pub on Little Russell Street

The museum spokesperson added: "The museum was closed this morning due to an incident following a member of the public being attacked nearby.

"Visitors were evacuated as a precaution, and we wish the victim a swift recovery."

They added the museum's security team had supported people until emergency services arrived.

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