'It was me against him': Hero opens up on moment he confronted Huntingdon knife attacker

Speaking to LBC’s Nick Ferrari, Stephen Crean, from London, opened up about challenging the knifeman, who left ten people with life-threatening injuries when he launched the attack on a train service from Doncaster to London King's Cross on Saturday.

As the pair struggled, the attacker hauntingly asked Stephen, “Do you want to die?”

“I was sitting down and the doors opened and there was a lot of shouting and then quite a few people ran past,” he told LBC.

He then turned and saw the knifeman “waving an oversized” blade.

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Stephen then began moving down the carriage, seeing other survivors lock themselves in toilets as they attempted to escape the attacker.

Eventually, Stephen came face-to-face with the attacker.

“It was just me against him.

“So I was just trying to hold him in his hand and the blade was going all around.

“It was right up close, it was like a sword

“I mean, it might be exaggerating, but that's what it felt like.”

Stephen eventually escaped, locking himself in a toilet for safety, but was seriously injured in the process.

“I got away and then I got into the toilet and by then I was bleeding lots, my head has got lots and lots of stitches all over my head and my hand is severe with the knife wounds, but I think every finger's basically probably needs plastic surgery.”

A train worker who suffered life-threatening injuries attempting to stop the attacker remains in a critical condition this morning.

Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy, of British Transport Police (BTP), said CCTV from the train showed the man's actions "were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved people's lives".

Passengers have spoken of the horror which unfolded shortly after the train left Peterborough station, with one woman saying she felt "very lucky" to be unharmed after begging the man to spare her life when he chased after her.

Other passengers spoke of hiding in train toilets and the buffet car to protect themselves during the bloody rampage.

BTP declared a major incident when the train came to a stop in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, after passengers pulled the emergency alarms and two men were arrested eight minutes after police were called at 7.42pm.

A 32-year-old black British national remains in custody on suspicion of attempted murder. He is from Peterborough and boarded the train there when it stopped at 7.30pm, officers said.

A 35-year-old man from London who was also detained has been released with no further action after officers established he was not involved. Of the 10 people taken to hospital, five have been discharged.

Mr Cundy said: "This was a horrific attack that has had a wide impact.

"My thoughts and those of everyone in British Transport Police are with those injured and their families - especially the brave member of rail staff whose family are being supported by specialist officers."

A knife was recovered by police at the scene of the incident, which police have said is not believed to have been motivated by terrorism.

David Horne, managing director of LNER, said "our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected, particularly our colleague who remains in a life-threatening condition, and their family".

"I would also like to recognise the driver, crew and our operational response colleagues for their bravery and quick actions," he said.

Train driver Andrew Johnson, who is reported to be a Royal Navy veteran, is said to have got signalers to divert the train to a different track, allowing him to stop at a platform at Huntingdon which was not a planned stop on the route.

He told ITV News: "I was only doing my job. It was my colleague who is in hospital who was the brave one."

Nigel Roebuck, full-time organiser in the north-east of England for the train drivers' union Aslef and lead officer with LNER, said: "The driver did everything he was trained to do, at the right time and in the right way.

"He showed real courage, real dedication, and real determination in the most difficult of circumstances. Our thoughts tonight are with his colleague who is still in intensive care.

LNER, which operates East Coast Main Line services in the UK, said it expects normal service to resume on Monday, with passengers advised to check their journey online for the latest information.

Anyone with information they believe could help police is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016 quoting reference 663 of 01/11/25.