Man arrested after people at Heathrow allegedly attacked with ‘form of pepper spray’

A man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after people were allegedly attacked with a “form of pepper spray” at a multistorey car park at Heathrow airport terminal 3, police have said.
The Metropolitan police said armed officers were called to the terminal 3 car park at about 8.11am to a report of people being assaulted.
A group of men allegedly sprayed people with what was believed to be a kind of pepper spray before leaving the scene, the Met said in a statement.
One man was arrested on suspicion of assault, and inquiries continued to trace further suspects, police said.
Commander Peter Stevens said: “At this stage, we believe the incident involved a group of people known to each other, with an argument escalating and resulting in a number of people being injured.
“Our officers responded quickly and there will be an increased police presence at Heathrow airport throughout the morning to continue inquiries and ensure the safety of those in the area.
“We are not treating this incident as terrorism. I understand the public’s concerns and would like to thank those in the area for their cooperation this morning.”
The London ambulance service came and the victims were taken to hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.
A spokesperson said: “We have a number of resources on scene, and are caring for a number of patients.”
A London fire brigade spokesperson said: “Firefighters have been providing specialist assistance alongside multi-agency partners at the scene. The brigade was stood down shortly after 10.30.”
Footage posted on social media appeared to show a man being handcuffed, and ambulances, fire engines and armed officers at the scene.
A Heathrow spokesperson said its teams were responding to the incident with the emergency services. Heathrow has advised passengers to allow extra time when travelling to the airport and, if they have any queries, to check with their airline.
The terminal remained open throughout, though the incident caused some traffic and public transport disruption.