Knife attack in central London

Police at Russell Square (ITV)
Police at Russell Square (ITV)

A woman in her 60s has been killed in a knife attack in central London. Police are not ruling terrorism out as a motive, but say mental health is 'significant'.

Five other people - two women and three men - were also injured in the incident at Russell Square around 10:30pm on Wednesday (local time).

"Six people were injured during the incident, including the woman who died at the scene. Two other women and three men received various injuries in the attack,"police said in a statement.

A 19-year-old man was Tasered and is in police custody in hospital. Police say mental health is "a significant factor in this case", but are continuing to investigate terrorism as a line of inquiry.

There has been an increase in police presence in the area since the attack. There are also reports of a police forensics tent being erected near the British Museum.

"As a precautionary measure tomorrow, Londoners will wake up and in the morning they will notice an increased police presence on the streets, including armed officers. This is there to provide reassurance and safety. We ask the public to remain calm and vigilant and alert."

Homicide officers are leading the investigation into the incident, supported by counter terrorism officers, The Guardian reports.