A man has been arrested after police were called to a fight in Hackney where witnesses reported seeing a knife and a man was believed to have been stabbed.
Officers were sent to Appleby Street just after 9am on Friday, September 25, following reports of a disturbance involving several men. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said it was believed a man had been stabbed during the incident, and witnesses had told officers they had seen a knife at the scene.
When officers arrived, the man said to have been injured had already left the area. A crime scene was set up while police carried out initial enquiries to establish what had happened.
The arrest
Police said a man was arrested after officers attended. The recorded account does not give the man’s age, the specific offence he was arrested on suspicion of, or whether he remained in custody, was charged, was released on bail or was released under investigation. No conclusion should be drawn from an arrest alone, as an arrest marks the start of an investigation and a person is presumed innocent unless convicted in court.
A crime scene was kept in place while enquiries continued, to protect the area so evidence could be recorded and recovered, and so witnesses nearby could be identified and spoken to.
What police are still trying to establish
The main gap in the recorded account is the position of the man believed to have been injured. Police said he had gone before officers arrived at Appleby Street, and the account does not confirm whether he has since been traced, whether he received medical treatment, or what injuries, if any, he sustained.
Other points also remain unconfirmed. It has not been stated whether a knife was recovered, how many people were directly involved in the fight, what prompted the disturbance, or whether anyone else was injured.
Police appealed for information to establish the full circumstances, including from anyone who saw the disturbance, anyone who saw people leaving afterwards, and anyone with doorbell or dashcam footage from around the time officers were called just after 9am.
How a stabbing investigation proceeds
Investigations into reported stabbings generally follow a similar pattern, although the exact steps depend on the facts. Officers will usually try to locate and safeguard any injured person first, secure the scene, identify witnesses, and look for CCTV, doorbell and dashcam footage covering the location and nearby streets.
If a suspect is arrested, they will normally be taken into custody, where they can be interviewed under caution while custody time limits apply. Police have powers to search a person on arrest in certain circumstances and to seize items reasonably believed to be evidence, and investigators will consider forensic opportunities at the scene and on clothing or other recovered items.
The possible outcomes after that stage are well established. A case may be referred for a charging decision, which in more serious cases is made by the Crown Prosecution Service. A person may be charged and taken to court, released on bail with conditions while enquiries continue, or released under investigation, meaning they are not on bail but enquiries are ongoing. A person may also be released with no further action if the evidence does not support proceeding. Which route applies in this case has not been stated, and it should not be assumed.
The Appleby Street incident is one of several knife-related incidents London Streets has covered recently, including a stabbing on Dirleton Road in Stratford that left a man in hospital and a knifepoint robbery attempt in Gladstone Park for which a 14-year-old boy was arrested.
How to contact police
Anyone with information about the Appleby Street incident, or with doorbell or dashcam footage that may help, was asked to call police on 101 quoting reference 1684/25SEP.
As a general route, 101 is the non-emergency number for police in England and Wales, while 999 should be used in an emergency. Information can also generally be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Updated: 20 October 2026 at 5:31.
