Streatham terror attack: Police to return to scene to step up appeal for information
Written by News on 10/02/2020
Police will return to Streatham a week after two people were stabbed by a convicted terrorist who was under surveillance.
Sudesh Amman was shot dead by officers in Streatham High Road, south London, last Sunday after the 20-year-old grabbed a knife from a shop and used it to attack two bystanders.
It came 10 days after he was freed automatically halfway through a jail sentence, handed down in December 2018 for possessing and distributing terrorist documents.
Scotland Yard said officers will be back at the scene of the attack on Sunday to hand out leaflets appealing for information about what happened, as detectives continue their investigation.
More than 100 witnesses have been identified and more than 250 exhibits have been seized, with officers having also reviewed hours of CCTV footage and searched an address in Streatham and Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire.
Commander Richard Smith, head of the Met’s counter terrorism command, said: “We continue to carry out extensive inquiries and our focus remains on ensuring there is no wider threat connected with this incident.
“However, we are confident that this was an isolated incident and we have found nothing to suggest that this was anything other than the attacker acting completely on his own.”
Commander Smith added: “Whilst we’ve already spoken to many people who witnessed the attack, we are still keen to speak with anyone who may have seen what happened last Sunday and who may have information that could still be useful to our inquiries.
“To that end we will have officers in the Streatham area on Sunday – a week on from the attack – giving out appeal leaflets and speaking with members of the public.”
Meanwhile, one of the people stabbed by Amman on 2 February is still receiving treatment in hospital.
The victim, a man in his 40s, was seriously injured and is in a critical but stable condition.
Two other women who were injured – one in her 50s who was stabbed, and one in her 20s who was injured by glass after police used a firearm – have already been discharged from hospital.
In response to the attack, the government is still working on an emergency anti-terror law to stop convicted terrorists being released early.
As many as 50 terrorists could be freed from jail this year, figures suggest.
Amman was put under 24-hour police surveillance after his release on 23 January, as it is understood that the security services had classified him as an “extremely concerning individual”.
He was being tailed by an armed police team on the day of his attack.
The Metropolitan Police said they are co-operating with the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Anyone with information that could assist with the investigation can call police in confidence on 0800 789 321
(c) Sky News 2020: Streatham terror attack: Police to return to scene to step up appeal for information
