A swift police response led to the arrest of a man following a shocking robbery at London's Heathrow Airport that left more than twenty people requiring medical attention after being exposed to a suspected pepper spray.
Armed Police Make Rapid Arrest
Metropolitan Police officers, including armed units, were called to a multi-storey car park at Terminal 3 at 8.11am on Sunday, 7 December 2025. The force reported that a group of four men had robbed a woman of her suitcase inside a car park lift, spraying a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction.
The effects of the spray impacted not only those in the lift but also people in the surrounding area. Remarkably, armed officers managed to locate and detain a 31-year-old man on suspicion of assault within just nine minutes of the initial report. He remains in custody as enquiries continue to locate the other suspects involved.
Multiple Casualties and Travel Disruption
The London Ambulance Service declared a significant incident and treated a total of 21 people at the scene. Among those affected was a three-year-old girl. Five individuals were taken to hospital for further assessment, though their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.
The incident caused considerable disruption during the busy Sunday morning. Passengers faced severe delays, with some reporting waits of up to three hours for shuttle buses to long-stay car parks. Traffic built up around the M4 junction for the airport, and there were temporary delays on both the Elizabeth Line and Piccadilly Line Tube services, though all lines have since returned to normal.
Eyewitness Describes 'Absolutely Terrifying' Scene
Witness Tom Bate, who had just arrived from Dallas, Texas, described seeing three young men dressed in black with their heads covered suddenly run from the elevator area. "That's when people started coughing," he told Sky News. "Suddenly... everyone in the room was coughing, including me, and there was a burning in my throat. It was one of the weirdest things I've ever experienced."
Mr Bate then saw 10-20 armed police officers rush into the car park. He recounted the intense moment when police pointed their weapons at a suspect, ordering him to the ground before detaining him. The witness was asked to identify the individual, an experience he described as "pretty intense" and "absolutely terrifying".
Commander Peter Stevens of the Met Police later stated that the force believes this to be an isolated incident, with those directly involved known to each other. Terminal 3 remained open throughout, and while most of the disruption has now cleared, the investigation to trace the outstanding suspects is ongoing.
