Two people have been taken to hospital after a reported fight outside a Sainsbury’s supermarket on Southend Lane in Sydenham, south-east London.
Emergency crews raced to the scene at 2.05pm on Tuesday, October 6, after reports of an alleged assault close to the store entrance. The London Ambulance Service dispatched ambulance crews together with a paramedic in a fast-response car, and both patients were treated at the roadside before being taken to hospital for further care.
The disturbance broke out in the middle of the afternoon outside the busy supermarket, which stands on Southend Lane near the boundary between Sydenham and Bellingham. Police swiftly threw a cordon around the Sainsbury’s and the shop was closed to customers while officers and paramedics worked at the scene, as London Streets reported yesterday.
It is understood that two men were involved in the alleged fight. Eyewitness reports described blood on the pavement outside the store, suggesting the confrontation had turned violent before emergency services arrived.
A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 2.05pm on Tuesday 6 October to reports of an assault on Southend Lane, Bellingham. We sent ambulance crews and a paramedic in a fast response car to the scene. We treated two patients and took them to hospital.”
Officers kept the cordon in place for several hours while enquiries were carried out. Shoppers were turned away from the store, which remained shut for the rest of the afternoon. The cordon has since been lifted and the scene fully cleared.
The Metropolitan Police has been contacted for comment. So far, no information has been released about any arrests, and it is not yet clear what sparked the altercation.
The two people taken to hospital have not been identified, and no update has yet been given on the extent of their injuries.
Southend Lane is a key route running south from Sydenham towards Bellingham in the London Borough of Lewisham. The stretch around the Sainsbury’s is lined with independent shops, pubs and takeaways, and is usually busy with shoppers and commuters during the afternoon.
The incident unfolded in broad daylight on a busy shopping street, and officers are expected to review CCTV footage from the store and nearby businesses as part of their enquiries. Police cordons of this kind are typically put in place to preserve evidence while officers establish the facts, and can remain for several hours depending on the seriousness of the incident.
It is the latest violent incident to be reported in south-east London in recent days. Earlier this week, police released an image of a man they want to trace after a phone robbery at Cutty Sark DLR station turned violent.
London Ambulance Service crews attend thousands of assault-related callouts across the capital each year, with paramedics often working alongside police officers at the scene to treat casualties before they are taken to hospital.
Anyone who saw what happened in Sydenham, or who has mobile phone or dashcam footage that could assist officers, is urged to contact the Metropolitan Police on 101, quoting the date and location. Information can also be given anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Officers are expected to remain in the area while enquiries continue, as detectives work to establish the full sequence of events that led to the confrontation. Anyone who was nearby at the time and has not yet spoken to police is encouraged to come forward and share what they saw.
This is a developing story and London Streets will bring you further updates as more details emerge. Our earlier report on the police cordon at the Sydenham Sainsbury’s can be read here, and you can follow all of our crime and courts coverage from across the capital in our dedicated news section.
