A man in his 50s has been taken to hospital following the East Ham High Street North altercation, sparking a police investigation.
Officers were called to High Street North in East Ham at around 11.30pm on Sunday following reports of a confrontation involving two men. Crews from the London Ambulance Service also attended, and the injured man was taken to hospital for treatment.
High Street North is a busy thoroughfare running through the heart of East Ham, lined with shops, restaurants and bus stops, and is usually bustling late into the evening.
The seriousness of the man’s injuries is not yet known. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said it was too early to say whether they were life-threatening or life-changing.
“No arrests have been made at this time and enquiries continue,” the spokesperson added.
What we know so far
- Where: High Street North, East Ham, in the London Borough of Newham
- When: Around 11.30pm on Sunday, 27 September
- What: An altercation involving two men
- Casualty: A man in his 50s, taken to hospital; condition unknown
- Emergency response: Metropolitan Police and London Ambulance Service attended
- Arrests: None so far, with enquiries continuing
Timeline
- 11.30pm, Sunday: Police are called to reports of an altercation involving two men on High Street North.
- Shortly afterwards: Officers arrive with London Ambulance Service crews and find a man in his 50s injured at the scene.
- Overnight: The man is taken to hospital, where the seriousness of his injuries is assessed.
- Monday morning: A bus lane on High Street North is closed because of the police incident, with eight bus routes diverted between Thorpe Road and Kempton Road.
Travel disruption for commuters
The incident caused disruption for Monday morning commuters, with a bus lane shut on High Street North while police dealt with the aftermath. Routes 101, 147, 238, 300, 304, 325, 376 and 474 were diverted between Thorpe Road and Kempton Road.
We reported earlier how the closure affected the morning commute.
What happens next in the investigation
With no arrests made so far, detectives will now work to establish exactly what happened in the run-up to the altercation. Investigations of this kind typically follow a familiar pattern in the hours and days after the incident.
Officers are likely to take a formal statement from the injured man once he is well enough to speak to them, and to trace the second man involved. Detectives will also want to hear from anyone who was in the area late on Sunday night, whether they saw the confrontation itself or the moments leading up to it.
CCTV will form a key part of the enquiry. High Street North is lined with shops and businesses, many of which have cameras covering the pavement and road, and officers will trawl through footage to build a picture of events. House-to-house enquiries with nearby residents and traders are also standard, along with appeals for dashcam and mobile phone footage.
Detectives will liaise with hospital staff as the victim’s condition becomes clearer, since the seriousness of any injuries can determine how the case is classified and which charges might follow if a suspect is identified.
The Metropolitan Police regularly update the public as investigations progress, and further details — including any arrests — are expected to be released in due course. Detectives recently made an arrest after a school pupil was targeted in an e-bike robbery in Mottingham, while in a separate case an HMP Thameside inmate is due to appear at Crown Court over alleged stalking and blackmail.
Witness appeal
Anyone who was on High Street North late on Sunday night and saw what happened is urged to contact the Metropolitan Police. Information, including dashcam or doorbell footage from the area, can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers.
