‘I am so lucky to be alive after Newton Hospital crowbar rampage’

A nurse has told how she was “beaten nearly to death” after a man went on a rampage with a crowbar in a Merseyside hospital building.

Megan Lynch, 28, said she was standing at a vending machine ordering a drink when she was hit on the head from behind at Newton Community Hospital in Newton-le-Willows.

District nurse Ms Lynch was one of six people injured at 12:00 GMT on Tuesday when the man reportedly became aggressive after his demands for an appointment were denied.

She said: “I was beaten nearly to death with a crowbar by an unknown man, who started attacking me from behind.”

Warning: This story contains distressing images

“I honestly don’t know why this man did this to me and other workers of the hospital, but l’m so, so, so lucky I’m still alive and I’m so lucky I ran when I did, otherwise I wouldn’t be here right now,” she added.

Posting on social media, she said: “After a few blows to the head I ran, I hid and did what I could do to get a door between me and him.”

Images shared by Ms Lynch showed a large laceration to the back of her head which required stitching.

She also suffered bruising to her shoulder and to her hand.

However she thanked “amazing” staff at Whiston Hospital, where she was taken for treatment, and said CT scans and an X-ray had “come back clear”.

Merseyside Police confirmed earlier that a 20-year-old man, living locally but originally from Afghanistan, had been detained under the Mental Health Act.

He had been arrested at the scene on suspicion of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, affray and criminal damage.

The force said a metal bar is undergoing forensic examination and detectives are working through CCTV footage and witness accounts.

The attacker was believed to have requested an appointment at the hospital but became “increasingly agitated” when this was declined and he was asked to leave.

He then damaged a counter before striking people, police said.

Sugedaran Shanmugaraja, who was working in the Best One shop across the road from the hospital, said an injured woman fled the scene before coming into his store.

He said the woman, whose head was bleeding, asked him to call the police.

“I gave her my phone to call. I could see blood and she said somebody was attacking everybody,” he said.

Hannah West, who lives across the road from the hospital, told the BBC she saw members of staff and injured people being evacuated.

She said: “I looked out my window when I heard constant sirens and saw some victims coming out and [a man] getting put in the riot van.

“Hospital staff were being evacuated – they looked really stressed, but you could tell they were trying to help people.

“One woman was wrapped up and in a wheelchair being wheeled to an ambulance.”

Supt Sarah Rotherham said: “We understand that this incident would have caused concern for the local community and I hope the public feel reassured by the increased police presence.

“I would ask anyone with concerns to speak to one of our officers or contact their local police station.”

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, said it was “working closely with Merseyside Police”.