A 14-year-old boy has been charged after a 'machete fight' inside a KFC in Bromley left four people with stab wounds. The Metropolitan Police confirmed the teenager faces one count of affray and two counts of threatening a person with a bladed article or offensive weapon in a public place.
A man, 21, and three boys aged between 14 and 17 were rushed to hospital after the attack broke out on Bromley High Street at around 2.15pm on Thursday, September 10. The man was previously in a critical condition, but his injuries are now believed to be non-life-threatening. The teenagers have since been discharged from hospital.
A witness described 'a lot of blood' after the victims were assaulted with a large knife inside the fast-food restaurant, while another said they saw the assailants 'use a machete'.
Eight people were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the incident. Six of those have since been released on conditional bail while police investigations continue.
On Saturday, the 14-year-old boy appeared at Bromley Magistrates' Court. He is due to appear again at the same court on Wednesday. Police said there is currently no wider threat to the public and are treating the attack as an isolated event.
Witnesses describe scene of chaos
A bus driver who was at the scene shortly after the attack described the victims as being attacked with a 'zombie knife'. The driver, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'It was inside the KFC. People have been interviewed in there since I arrived, I've been stuck here for two hours.'
'Someone from TK Maxx said it was a zombie knife. They said it was really bad, a lot of blood,' the driver added.
A security guard working nearby said the attackers were 'a group of kids with a machete'. 'I came off my break and saw a bunch of police cars come past, they surrounded the area and have cut off everything heading towards Bromley North,' they said.
Following the attack, Bromley's town square and shopping centre were blocked off, with a cordon put in place between Ringers Road and Ethelbert Road. An air ambulance, the London Fire Brigade and the Met Police were all dispatched to the incident.
What police and ambulance services said
A Met Police spokesperson said officers were called to an 'altercation' on Bromley High Street at around 14.15pm on Thursday, September 10. In a statement released on Friday, the force said officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance and found four men with stab wounds.
'Three of them were taken to hospital where they are receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. One is in critical condition,' the statement said. 'Seven men were arrested, and they all remain in custody. Police enquiries continue and there is not believed to be any wider threat to the public.'
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called at 2.19pm today to reports of a stabbing on Bromley High Street, Bromley. We sent ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and an advanced paramedic. We also dispatched London's Air Ambulance. We treated four patients at the scene and took them all to hospital.'
KFC responds to incident
A KFC spokesman said: 'We can confirm that a serious incident took place this afternoon in our Bromley High Street restaurant. We are working with the police on their ongoing investigation. Our priority is supporting our team members and customers at this difficult time.'
Bromley High Street sits in the London Borough of Bromley in south-east London and is home to a large shopping centre and pedestrianised retail area. The 14-year-old boy is next due to appear at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
