Disruption at Heathrow airport after multiple people assaulted with pepper spray

Chaos and fear descended on passengers at London's Heathrow Airport after a group of people sprayed pepper spray at a multistorey car park at Terminal 3 of the airport. Metropolitan police said armed officers were called to Terminal 3 around 8:11 am in the morning to a report of people being assaulted.

A group of men, believed to be members of a group, sprayed numerous people with a form of pepper spray before fleeing from the spot, the police said in a statement.

Armed response officers calmed the situation and arrested one man on suspicion of assault, the police said. adding that the enquiry is underway, and they will continue to trace further suspects.

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The London Ambulance Service rushed victims to the hospital; none suffered life-changing or life-threatening injuries.

Commander Peter Stevens of the metropolitan police said: “At this stage, we believe the incident involved a group of people known to each other, with an argument escalating and resulting in several people being injured".

“Our officers responded quickly, and there will be an increased police presence at Heathrow Airport throughout the morning, to continue enquiries and ensure the safety of those in the area".

He clarified that the police are not pursuing the case as a terror attack and thanked the people present at the spot for their cooperation.

“We are not treating this incident as terrorism. I understand the public’s concerns and would like to thank those in the area for their cooperation this morning.”