A swordsman reportedly screamed ‘does anyone believe in God?’ during a ‘random’ rampage which saw a 14-year-old boy tragically killed and two police officers seriously wounded.

The 36-year-old suspect had rammed his van into a house near Hainault Tube station early this morning before allegedly slashing at members of the public and police officers who responded to terrified 999 calls for help.

Chilling CCTV footage captured the knifeman prowling the streets of the London suburb before setting upon innocent passers-by with his huge blade during a 22-minute reign of terror.

Door camera footage showed the dramatic moment the suspect was finally arrested on a driveway of a semi-detached house after being tasered by a female officer who bravely ran towards him. 

During the rampage the suspect was allegedly heard screaming at emergency service workers ‘Does anyone here believe in God?’ after a teenage boy was fatally stabbed.

The youngster – described by neighbours as the youngest of three children from a respected, church-going family – was rushed to hospital, but was declared dead from his severe injuries.

A neighbour yesterday paid tribute to the schoolboy victim, telling the Mail: ‘He is a nice, quiet boy. He does not play out, but stays at home.

‘His family are very nice, respectable. They go to church and go out together as a family.’

It was reported last night that the boy went to private school and was wearing his sports clothes at the time of the stabbing.

Police said yesterday they did not believe the attack was ‘targeted’ or terror-related. 

Residents yesterday described how they saw a man in a yellow hoodie top ‘covered in blood’ outside their homes around 7am yesterday morning.

James Fernando, 39, said the man had asked a woman to speak to someone on his phone, but she fled when she realised she was in danger.

Mr Fernando said: ‘Within two seconds after that she realised something isn’t right, started running and he’s pulled a samurai sword from the back of his trousers.

‘She’s shouted to the other neighbour – a Nigerian boy who was on his way to school.

‘As he’s turned around, he’s struck him on the face.

‘It was quite traumatising now. I can’t stop envisioning the boy’s face.

‘He was running around, still after the police officers came, with the sword in his hand looking for victims.’

David Maguire, 38, who works in security in Canary Wharf, said he was travelling to Hainault Tube station when he saw a man ‘holding his neck [with] blood coming out his fingers’.

He told The Times: ‘There were so many people running towards the station trying to get away from danger. No one knew what was going on.’

A resident who lives across the road from the vicious attack described how she saw a man leaving a house covered in blood as police arrived.

Gana Ignat said: ‘I saw something happen outside and heard screams, I didn’t understand what had happened and thought it was a child.

‘My daughter came into my room and said ‘mum, mum something is happening outside’.

‘I went outside and the police shouted ‘no, no please go back in your house’ because he is dead.

‘I went back into the house, on the second floor, and I saw through the window a man in a yellow hoodie running quickly through the car park outside, through a garden and past another house.

‘I saw the man running away and after that I don’t know, I saw all the police and a helicopter.’

Another neighbour described hearing a ‘terrified scream’ and shouting before watching police cordon off a nearby road.

New North Road resident Ray Leigh Mason, 44, said ‘I heard a shout, something along the lines of “there’s nothing you can do mate”, then screaming.

‘The shouting must’ve been around 06.50am and at the time of it occurring, I wrongly assumed it was neighbours arguing, which quite often happens at all hours.

‘I should’ve been up earlier and likely would be outside as it happened, but I stayed in bed an extra 15 minutes.

‘I looked out of the window to see the police arriving and cordoning off the road. I was told to stay inside, which I did for some time. I then needed to leave for work but with the station closed, I was escorted away down New North Road and needed to walk to Fairlop station.’

A resident in Thurlow Gardens, who wished to remain anonymous, said the suspect was tasered in his garden.

They said the man jumped over the fence before being held down by police, and the householder had submitted CCTV to the authorities.

The resident’s neighbour, who also wanted to remain anonymous, witnessed the arrest, saying: ‘I heard police sirens and then the car stopped here for three seconds, which was a bit odd. I opened the door and I could see armed police officers.

‘I saw a gentleman, a white guy, running, being chased by the police.

‘He went into that driveway and he was being tasered, being told to stop, then he jumped into that other neighbour’s driveway there.

‘He was being tasered, went to the floor with all the armed police officers around and he was subdued there for half an hour.’

Another different local told The Sun that he saw a man covered in blood standing by his front door. 

Peter Rollison said: ‘I live in Laing Close and made my way to Hainault Station this morning.

‘There were a lot of police cars around the corner from me. I stopped from a distance to look at all the commotion, then continued with my journey.

‘There was a man in his home with his door open, his hand and arm covered in blood.’

Police urged residents of these usually quiet street to ‘lock your doors’ as they chased the suspect through a network of alleys and gardens.

Officers could be heard yelling, ‘Come this way’ and ‘Drop the sword’ at the suspect, who clambered over garages and through gardens to escape.

Two police officers suffered stab injuries before the knifeman was finally brought down by the discharge of Taser fire as he was cornered, waving his sword around his head, by a banana tree in the front garden of a semi-detached house.

Video show officers close in on the man, with the unarmed female officer advancing on him despite the fact he is still brandishing his sword, before discharging her Taser in a bid to take him down.

She then stands over him before armed colleagues move into the arrest the prone knifeman and can be heard in doorbell video footage shouting ‘he’s down,’ and ‘get the sword’.

One baton-wielding policeman screams at his colleagues ‘cuff him, cuff him!’ and the relief is palpable in the voice of one officers who says into his radio: ‘Subject secure.’

University law student Evelina Deliu watched as the knifeman was arrested.

She said: ‘I was woken up by loud noise outside my bedroom window.

‘I saw this man in next door garden cowering on the ground by the banana tree.

‘There were police all around him. He was struggling with them.

‘The police were shouting ‘get down, get down!’

‘It took six or seven people to get him down. There was a lady (police officer) with them.

‘They were trying to tie him up and put him in hand cuffs.

‘But he was moving his legs and trying to get out.

‘The police were shouting ‘don’t resist, don’t resist!’

‘They had to carry him to the car because he was tied up.’

The 36-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder.

But last night detectives were still waiting to question him as he is being treated in hospital for injuries he suffered when he crashed his van into a house.

The rampage has shocked locals, who told MailOnline they saw a man ‘covered in blood’ outside their homes in the Thurlow Gardens area early on Monday morning.

Daniel Garfinkle, who lives outside the Tube station, said: ‘I woke up at 7am to lots of shouting. There was a guy outside covered in blood, near the station and outside my home.

‘Police were trying to calm down the man. But he went towards the station. He kept shouting.’

Another local resident described hearing screaming and shouting early on Tuesday before seeing police cordoning off a nearby road. 

Met Police yesterday stated that the 14-year-old boy died in hospital and that that the two officers require surgery for serious stab injuries.

The two members of pubic remain in hospital but their injuries are not life-threatening.

Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell said: ‘A 36-year-old is currently in custody. He was tasered here at the scene and arrested 22 minutes after the first call was made to police shortly before 7am this morning.

‘Two of those members of the public remain in hospital. Thankfully their injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

‘The two Met Police officers are also currently in hospital with stab wounds. Both require surgery and have significant injuries, but we believe at this stage that they were not life threatening.’

The police have said that they do not believe the incident is currently terror related. 

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe has dismissed a rumour circling around Hainault that the suspect had been arrested the day before for carrying a knife but had been released back on the streets.

She told a press conference that police could find no trace of contact with the 36-year-old man in the days leading up to the attack despite ‘urgent and extensive checks’, adding: ‘We will continue to make these enquiries.’

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Kier Starmer yesterday paid tribute to the victims of the shocking day-light attack.

Mr Sunak said the Hainault stabbings were ‘shocking’, adding that ‘such violence has no place on our streets’.

Speaking at the Society of Editors conference in central London, he said: ‘I’d like to give my thanks to the emergency teams that are responding and to pay tribute to their bravery.’

And King Charles last night ‘saluted’ the courage of the police officers who worked to bring the violence to an end.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘Following the horrific scenes in Hainault this morning, the King has asked to be kept fully informed as details of the incident become clearer.

‘His thoughts and prayers are with all those affect – in particular, the family of the young victim who has lost his wife – and he salutes the courage of the emergency services who helped contain the situation.’

Home Secretary James Cleverly said his thoughts are with those ‘affected’ by the horror incident in east London this morning. 

He posted on X: ‘I am being regularly updated about the incident at Hainault Station this morning.

‘My thoughts are with those who have been affected and thank you to the emergency responders I would urge people not to speculate or share footage online and provide relevant information to the police.’

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan added: ‘This must have been a terrifying incident for those concerned.

‘I know the wider community will be feeling shock and alarm. People will want to know what has happened and will we provide more information as soon as we can.’

Reacting to this afternoon’s tragic developments, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: ‘I’m sure I speak for the entire city when I say our thoughts are with this young child and his family.

‘It breaks my heart not only that this child has lost his life, but two members of our emergency services have risked their own safety to make sure others weren’t injured.

‘It shows the danger our police officers face every day and I thank them for their bravery.’

When pushed on whether knife crime had got ‘out of control’ under his premiership, the mayoral candidate said he hadn’t thought about the election since he heard of this morning’s incident and his focus was on those caught up in the event.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: ‘Firefighters were mobilised to assist police and London Ambulance Service colleagues at an incident near Hainault Underground Station.

‘Crews supported London Ambulance Service crews in the provision of immediate emergency care.

‘The Brigade was called at 7.35am and the incident was over for firefighters by 9.24am.

‘Fire crews from Dagenham, Walthamstow, Ilford, Romford, Hainault, East Ham and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.’

Wes Streeting MP posted on X: ‘A critical incident has been declared in Hainault. There are station and road closures in place. 

‘The police, ambulance service and fire brigade are responding. One male detained.

‘I would urge people not to speculate until details are confirmed or post footage on social media.’