A three-year-old girl was among more than twenty people requiring medical treatment following a disturbing robbery and pepper spray attack at one of the world's busiest airports on Sunday morning.
Armed Response and Rapid Arrest
The Metropolitan Police were called at 8:11 am on Sunday, 7 December 2025, to reports of an assault by a group of men in the multi-storey car park at Heathrow's Terminal 3. Armed officers dispatched to the scene discovered a number of individuals who had been sprayed with a substance, believed to be a type of pepper spray.
Police moved swiftly, arresting a 31-year-old man on suspicion of assault by 8:20 am—just nine minutes after the initial emergency call. He remained in police custody on Sunday afternoon. Officers continue to hunt for other suspects involved.
Witness Describes Chaotic Scene
Witness Tom Bate, who was waiting to be picked up, described seeing "young men dressed in black darting through the crowd." He told the BBC he subsequently felt a burning sensation at the back of his throat, with others around him beginning to cough.
"I'm so glad to hear now that it's not terrorism because it felt like I was in the middle of an attack – it was pretty intense," Mr Bate said. Scotland Yard confirmed the incident is not being treated as terrorism.
Children Caught in the Crossfire
The London Ambulance Service treated a total of 21 patients at the scene. Police confirmed that one of those affected was a three-year-old girl. Five people were taken to hospital for further care, though their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.
Commander Peter Stevens provided more detail on the sequence of events: "At this stage, it's understood that a woman was robbed of her suitcase by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction. This occurred within a car park lift, with those in the lift and surrounding area affected by the spray."
He added: "Our officers are working to determine the full circumstances around what happened but we do believe this to be an isolated incident with those directly involved known to each other."
Travel Chaos and Ongoing Investigation
The incident caused significant disruption at the airport. The Central Terminal Area tunnel was closed for safety reasons, leading to congestion that impacted shuttle buses to the long-stay car park. One family reported waiting for three hours at a bus stop after their flight landed around 8 am. Heathrow staff handed out bottled water to affected passengers.
A Heathrow spokesman said services had returned to normal and apologised for the inconvenience. Meanwhile, rail passengers at the Terminal 2/3 station also faced severe overcrowding and long queues.
Commander Stevens praised the response: "I commend the actions of the emergency services and members of staff at Heathrow Airport." The investigation continues, with police reviewing CCTV and speaking to witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting reference CAD 1803 7 DEC.
