UK police make arrest after ‘serious incident’

LONDON: Police made an arrest on Saturday following a “serious incident” in the northern English city of Barnsley that left one man with stab injuries. Traders at a local covered market said they and parts of the town centre were locked down over the incident, sparked by reports of an individual with a knife. South Yorkshire Police initially reported on Twitter that it was responding to a “serious incident”. In a later statement it said: Officers were called at around 8:20 am (0720 GMT) “following reports that a man had been stabbed in Barnsley town centre”. “Police then received numerous further reports of an individual in the town centre with a knife,” it said. “One person has been arrested in connection with the incident and is in police custody. “One man suffered minor injuries. No other injuries have been reported at this time.” It said several crime scenes had been established and there would be a highly-visible police presence until police had established what happened. “An investigation is now underway and in its early stages to establish whether this is an isolated incident and whether the individual acted alone,” it added. Earlier the Facebook page of Barnsley Mayday Green Market reported that “this market and most of the town centre is in lockdown”, before later declaring it had received the all-clear. Contacted by AFP, they said they had no more information, other than “second-hand reports” that there may have been more than one person with a knife. Britain is on high alert after a string of terror attacks, including by individuals brandishing knives.