Neighbours describe 'horrific' stabbing in Enfield Island Village (From Enfield Independent)

Neighbours describe 'horrific' stabbing in Enfield Island Village which left woman in her 20s with life-threatening injuries

3:18pm Tuesday 6th November 2012 in News By Hermione Wright

Forensic officers investigate the scene

Neighbours have described a “horrific” scene which left a woman with life-threatening injuries.

Police were called to Enfield Island Village, in Enfield Lock, just before 12.20am today to reports of an injured woman in Gunner Drive.

They found the woman, who is in her early 20s, suffering from multiple stab wounds and also believe she was struck by a vehicle driven by the suspect.

At 3pm, two police officers continued to guard the street – with block of flats Webley Court protected by a large cordon.

The officers were tight-lipped about the site of the stabbing and said they were unsure how long access to the street would remain restricted. 

Smeaton Road, which is adjacent to Gunner Drive, remains closed and wood has been laid down over grass from George Lovell Drive to Rigby Place to allow traffic through the village to flow.

Husband and wife Nadia Din and Faisal Mir, who live in Thorneycroft Drive opposite the scene, were at home with their baby in the middle of the night when they heard police cars.

The pair, who have lived in the village for more than three years, heard rumours that the attack may have been in a bus stop opposite Wembley Court, although this remains unconfirmed.

Mrs Din said: “We didn’t actually see anything but I did see lights. My husband was up all night and I did see police cars going but I didn’t see anything. I’ve heard it was that bus stop which is shut down.

“It is such a safe area – we have young people and children here and my husband uses that bus stop all the time, it’s quite scary.

She added: “I’ve just had a baby, this area has never had any problems – we have such lovely neighbours so it is really bizarre that it’s happened here.

“It is really sad. It is a nice little village – a community area, it is quite a nice area. It’s a bit distressing knowing it has just happened on your doorstep.”

Mr Mir added: “We heard the police but we didn’t actually see anything. There used to be problems around here a few years ago now but that’s gone away.”

A neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said she woke to the noise of police sirens at 5am and walked across the street to speak to them.

She said: “I heard the police cars and I walked over and asked them and they couldn’t say very much.

“You could see it was quite serious because they had forensic officers there and they were searching the ground.”

She said all the doors and windows in Webley Court were open while the forensic team were investigating. 

She added: “It is quite sad because it will give the island a bad reputation when we know all the neighbours by their first names. I thought it must have been a murder.”

She called a number of parents this morning to warn them they may have difficulties driving their children to school.

A woman, who lives in Thorneycroft Drive but wished to remain anonymous, said: “It’s just horrific, absolutely horrific, and makes you feel awful – you know? It’s horrendous.

She said her husband woke up in the middle of the night and saw flashing lights, but she was not aware of what happened.

Stephanie Boateg, whose flat overlooks the scene, said: “I have lived here for three months and nothing like this has happened. I haven’t seen anything but I heard a police noise. This is terrible.”

No arrests have yet been made.