The security guard who disarmed the knifeman after he ‘jumped on’ him following an attack on an 11-year-old child has been branded a hero on social media.

Abdullah, 29, who works at the TWG Tea shop where a police cordon is in place, said he saw the armed man repeatedly stab a child before he intervened by grabbing the weapon off him and pinning him to the ground before others helped him.

His actions have been celebrated on social media platform X as people described him as a hero:

The 11-year-old girl and woman stabbed in Leicester Square were taken to a major trauma centre by London Ambulance Service but what exactly does this mean?

Major trauma centres are hospitals best equipped to treat emergency trauma caused by serious road traffic accidents, stab or gunshot wounds, falls from height, and serious head injuries.

Victims who require a major trauma centre will often bypass the nearest hospital so they can have access to expert clinicians 24 hours a day.

There are four such centres operating in London; The Royal London Hospital, St George’s Hospital, King’s College Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital.

It is not known which one the pair were sent to.

A number of objects including bloodied napkins, a black coloured baseball cap and a green lighter can be seen at the crime scene which has been cordoned off by police.

A street performer who witnessed the double stabbing in Leicester Square said he was left ‘heartbroken’ after an 11-year-old child was repeatedly stabbed with a knife.

The eyewitness, who gave his name as Desmond, 45, said the knifeman focused the attack on the girl, putting her in a headlock and stabbing her.

Desmond, who performs as Darth Vader, on the square said:

When I looked to my side I saw a young man… was stabbing her several (times) with a knife.

Before I could jump down to go (over there), two guys were just passing, and they grab him, they put him on the ground, and immediately the police came. I think the woman was also stabbed once, but the child was the most targeted, he was stabbing the child several times. Police held him and stood him up and cuffed him.

Desmond said the woman and girl appeared to be family or known to each other as they had been together before the attack happened.

It was so terrible, I’ve never seen a thing like that. I was heartbroken, I saw the woman was screaming with all her strength.

We can now bring you footage of the police cordon in the heart of London’s Leicester Square following a double stabbing earlier this morning.

The West End hotspot is busy with tuk-tuks and tourists, and passersby are gathering to look at the scene.

Police said the 11-year-old girl stabbed in Leicester Square will require hospital treatment but her injuries are not life threatening.

The 34-year-old woman suffered more minor injuries, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

There is no suggestion that the incident is terror-related, the force added.

A security guard has told how he ‘jumped on’ and disarmed the attacker who stabbed a child in Leicester Square.

The guard, who gave his name as Abdullah, 29, said he had worked in security at the TWG Tea shop for the past ‘seven to eight months’.

Abdullah (pictured above) told the PA news agency:

I heard a scream, at that moment I saw there was one person, roughly (in their) mid-30s or early 30s, and he was like stabbing a kid – I jumped on him, held the hand in which he was (carrying) a knife, and just put him down on the floor and just held him and took the knife away from him.

Then a couple of more people joined as well, and we just held him until the police came, it took maybe three to four minutes for the police to arrive and then they just took him into custody.

He and his colleagues gave first aid to the child before the police joined in, he said.

I just saw a kid getting stabbed and I just tried to save her. It’s my duty to just save them.

The police cordon has been put up in a bustling spot in London’s West End attracting thousands of tourists a day from across the world.

Here are the latest photogrpahs we can show you from the scene.

Police have confirmed officers are at the scene of a double stabbing in Leicester Square after an 11-year-old girl and a woman, 34, were attacked this morning in one the capital’s busiest tourist hotspots.

We will be bringing you developments as and when we can surrouding the attack, but for now here’s everything we know:

• An 11-year-old girl and a 34-year-old woman have been taken to one of London’s major trauma centres after they were stabbed in Leicester Square at 11.36am
• Detectives say a man has been arrested and is currently being held in custody
• Police believe there are no outstanding suspects
• A security guard said he ‘jumped on’ the attacker and disarmed him following the attack on the child
• A police cordon is in place outside the TWG Tea shop on Leicester Square which is beside the LEGO store and in front of the M&M store

Stick with us for the latest updates as and when we get them.

Here’s our breaking news story we reported after police tweeted about the stabbing

A schoolgirl and a woman have been rushed to hospital after they were stabbed in Leicester Square today in broad daylight.

The little girl, 11, and a woman, 34, were hospitalised after the nightmare unfolded in the bustling tourist hotspot just before midday.

Emergency crews were scrambled to the area, which sees thousands of visitors come through every day, just after 11.36am.

There were no immediate details about how badly injured either of the victims were but medics have taken them to a major trauma centre for treatment.

Detectives say a man has been arrested and is currently being held in custody.

Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage after an 11-year-old girl and a woman, 34, were attacked in a double stabbing in London’s Leicester Square.

The pair have been taken to a major trauma centre in London as police await an update on their conditions.

Scotland Yard said a man has been arrested.

We will bring you the latest developments on the stabbings throughout the afternoon.