Man injured in suspected homophobic machete attack in London
Police were called to Surrey Quays Road, Southwark, following reports that a man had been attacked with a machete (Google)
A man has been hospitalised after a violent machete attack in south-east London, which police believe may have had homophobic motives.
The victim was assaulted outside a Sainsbury’s supermarket on Surrey Quays Road, Southwark at 3.12pm on Tuesday (July 23).
A man struck his leg with a machete, causing serious injuries, and the victim was rushed to hospital via air ambulance. Police are still searching for the attacker, who is said to have fled the scene on a motorbike.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Officers attended and found a man with a wound to his leg. He was taken by London ambulance service to a south London hospital.
“The suspect is believed to have left the scene on a motorbike. At this time police believe there may be a homophobic motive for the attack.”
A crime scene remains in place and no arrests have yet been made, Scotland Yard added.
Surge in LGBT+ hate crimes continues
As the number of LGBT+ hate crimes in England and Wales has more than doubled, London has been in the spotlight for several homophobic attacks in recent months.
Police are still investigating another alleged homophobic assault which took place in south-east London last week.
A 29-year-old man was attacked in Denmark Hill just after 3am on Sunday (July 14) and left with head injuries. Police are treating this as a homophobic assault in light of comments made prior to the attack.
And just last month, a brutal attack on a lesbian couple on a bus sparked a national discussion about how LGBT+ people often feel unsafe in public spaces.
