Huntingdon and Peterborough locals react to train stabbings

People in Huntingdon have found themselves at the centre of a national news story after a train was forced to make an unscheduled stop in their town after multiple stabbings on board. Two people remain in a life-threatening condition in hospital and two men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after Saturday evening’s incident.

Cassie Marriot was at Huntingdon railway station at 20:00 GMT on Saturday because her mother lives across the road.

Speaking to the BBC, she said she tried to help people who had come off the train, in shock.

“I met one young lad standing on his own; he looked shell-shocked; he had blood all over his legs. We asked if he was OK and he said, ‘it’s not my blood,” Ms Marriot said.

“I met another young girl, who was about 18 or 19. She told me she was listening to music on the train when a man tried to stab her. She said someone pulled her out of the way.

“She looked absolutely petrified. She had left all her belongings including her phone on the train, the only thing she was carrying was a vape.”

Ms Marriot says there were police and ambulances everywhere but “the atmosphere was silent” at the station, which is on the southern edge of the Cambridgeshire town.

“Everyone was in total shock.”

Colin Hardy, who lives in Huntingdon and attends All Saints’ Church, said he had not “come to terms” with the incident as “it is not the sort of thing that happens around here”.

“We offer our prayers up to the victims and everyone involved; it must be horrific to have seen what was going on,” he said.

“We give thanks for the dedication of the local police, the railways police, and all of the hospital staff.”

Police met the Doncaster-London King’s Cross train as it made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon shortly before 20:00 GMT, having made its last scheduled stop at Peterborough at about 19:30.

A woman who lives across the road from the Huntingdon station, and wanted to remain anonymous, said she “was shaken up” but what had happened.

Adriana Fernandez, from Norwich, said the event was “really shocking”.

The 19-year-old was at Peterborough station on Sunday, and was travelling on her own for the first time.

She said: “We are travelling to places, and we should be safe.

“It is really heartbreaking. I feel bad for everyone.”

Elsie, who lives in Huntingdon, said she was “frightened… I think we should increase security in the area and on the trains”.

Sarah Conboy, Liberal Democrat leader at Huntingdonshire District Council, said it was an event “you hope you never get caught up in”.

She said local people were accommodating to individuals during the incident, adding: “At the moment when they really needed the community, they opened their doors and looked after them.

“This is normally a very busy station and people are expecting to travel, so we will do all we can to support people to get back to some sort of normality.”

Mark Keen, who lives locally said he visited the scene on Sunday morning to see what had happened.

“I am absolutely stunned really; I cannot actually believe it,” he said.

“It is a quiet place, and it is so sad for the people, it is dreadful.”

Another person who has lived in the area for four years, but did not want to be named, said: “It is very shocking.

“I do not what to say. What can we say? It is a very scary world we are living in.”

All Saints’ Church in Huntingdon town centre has been offering support to those affected.

The Reverend Jan Smith, its vicar, said: “We were praying last night for all of the people on the train and those severely injured.”

She said the church was “grateful” for the emergency services and the local hospital.

“We opened our service with silence and remembered all of those people who have been affected.”

Asha Lockwood, a parishioner at All Saints, said it was “frightening” as her partner was travelling on a different train.

She said it was “horrendous” listening to the eyewitness accounts and credited the train driver.

“I feel for the victims,” she said.

“The church is a wonderful community, family, and we will do anything in our power to help anybody.”

In Peterborough, about 20 miles north of Huntingdon, Dal Hicks, who has lived in the city for about five years, said the event was “a massive shock as it is so close to home”.

“I travel in and out from London most days of the week and now it is quite frightening,” he said.

“Now I am thinking I would rather drive than go up by train.”

He said he could not see how further incidents could “be prevented”.