Man, 45, charged with attempted murder after two men stabbed in Golders Green attack
The North London attack saw two men, Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76, stabbed in what has been labelled a terror attack
Essa Suleiman, 45, has been charged with attempted murder after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green.
Listen to this article
The charge follows a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation into the attack, which saw two men stabbed in North London on Wednesday.
The North London area, widely considered a hub of the Jewish community, was placed in lockdown after a knifeman attacked two men, Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76, in what has since been labelled a terror attack.
On Thursday, Suleiman, whose address is listed as Camberwell, was charged by the Metropolitan Police with two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place in relation to the attack.
Suleiman was also charged with attempted murder in relation to a separate incident on the same date in Great Dover Street.
Suleiman has been remanded in police custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
It coincided with the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre increased the UK terror threat level from substantial to severe.
Police were forced to use a taser to apprehend the 45-year-old after he double stabbing on Wednesday - with Green Party leader Zack Polanski embroiled in a war of words with the Met commissioner over police officers' use of force.
On Thursday, the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visited the scene of the attack in Golders Green, with the PM heckled by protesters who were heard to chant "Keir Starmer, Jew harmer".
It comes as the safety of the Jewish community within the UK was called into question following the spate of attacks targeting community hubs including a number of synagogues.
It comes as the PM insisted Jews in the UK are "scared" and that their anxiety became “terror” after Wednesday's broad daylight stabbing.
He went on to list a slew of recent attacks on Jewish people while making a later statement from Downing Street on Thursday afternoon.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said that the raised threat level "will be a source of concern to many, particularly amongst our Jewish community, who have suffered so much".
"As the threat level rises, I urge everyone to be vigilant, as they go about their daily lives, and report any concerns they have to the police," she said.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said he wants to "reassure all Londoners and visitors that we are doing everything possible to protect our city and keep all of our communities safe".
He says emergency services prepare "day in, day out" for these situations, and have "well-rehearsed plans" with specialist officers working "around the clock".
Sir Sadiq adds: "There will be additional police officers on London's streets over the coming days - including additional armed officers - they are there to help our police service to keep us all safe."
More to follow