Hero tells how he fought off Argos warehouse knife attacker with fire extinguisher

A antheral has said helium fought disconnected an alleged weapon attacker astatine a Sainsbury’s Argos warehouse by hitting him connected the caput with a occurrence extinguisher.

Five radical – a antheral successful his 50s, 2 men successful their 30s, and 2 men successful their 20s – were taken to infirmary with stab wounds. All those progressive knew each other.

Their conditions were assessed arsenic not life-threatening, constabulary said.

A 30-year-old antheral was arrested adjacent connected suspicion of grievous bodily harm and possession of an violative weapon. He was besides taken to infirmary with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Joseph Denton, 29, bravely tackled the knifeman and said helium “sliced my digit open”.

Speaking astatine the scene, helium told reporters: “I was determination for an audit and the institution fundamentally started shouting and saying: ‘He’s back.'”

Mr Denton, who had a bandage astir his small finger, added: “He didn’t accidental a word. He was trying to termination maine and I’d ne'er seen him earlier successful my life.

“I tried to fastener the door, but wherever I couldn’t I had to conscionable face him and combat him basically.

“I got him connected the level and decided to deed him with a occurrence extinguisher, which benignant of calmed everything down.

“And past radical rushed successful due to the fact that helium was connected the level astatine that point, and past we each conscionable carried connected attacking him until helium left.

“I didn’t truly person a prime to beryllium honest. There’s 1 doorway helium was coming through. So, there’s obscurity to spell anyway, truthful I had to face him.

“He had his happening conscionable stabbing astatine maine similar a serial killer.”

Mr Denton, from Rayleigh, Essex, said the weapon was “the size of my face”, adding helium thought it was a “Rambo weapon astir 8 inches, with each jagged edges”.

Pictures from the country amusement the organisation centre cordoned disconnected with exigency services outside.

Staff determination told the Metro: “A random feline came to the gross and said helium worked for Argos.

“A information defender confronted him, tackled him and was stabbed. Then much unit tried to assistance and 3 much were stabbed.

“The information defender was stabbed successful the limb – he’s ok.”

Another unit subordinate described however the onslaught was “carnage” and a “total shock”.

They said: “The information defender was a hero. The attacker claimed helium worked astatine Argos but helium did it to instrumentality his mode done the information gate.”

Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain, section policing commandant for southbound London, said: “Officers responded rapidly and arrested the fishy wrong an hour. An probe is present nether way.

“Based connected archetypal enquiries we judge each those progressive knew each other. Therefore we bash not judge determination is immoderate wider hazard to the public.”

An Argos spokesperson said: “We’re doing everything we tin to enactment the teams connected tract and gathering arsenic overmuch accusation arsenic imaginable to enactment the constabulary with their investigation.”

London Ambulance Service added: “We were called astatine 10.21am this greeting (Thursday, January 23) to reports of a stabbing incidental successful Marlowe Way, Croydon.

“We sent a fig of resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, a paramedic successful a accelerated effect car, an incidental effect officer, members of our Tactical Response Unit and London’s Air Ambulance.

“Our crews treated 5 patients astatine the scene, earlier taking 1 to a London large trauma centre and 4 to different hospitals.”