Everything we know about Heathrow pepper spray attack as 21 injured including toddler

Heathrow Airport faced severe disruption over the weekend after 21 people were left injured following an alleged pepper spray attack.

Armed police descended onto the airport's Terminal 3 car park at around 8.11am on Sunday (7 December), to reports that a group of men had sprayed a substance while attempting to steal a suitcase from a woman.

As many as 21 people are believed to be injured from the incident, including a three year old girl, with five people taken to hospital following the alleged attack, according to London Ambulance Service.

Police confirmed their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening or life-changing.

Eye-witnesses described a group of four men dressed in black 'darting through the crowd' of the multi-storey car park opposite Terminal 3.

One of the men is believed to have taken a suitcase from a woman while spraying a substance widely believed to be pepper spray in her direction.

"Our team have been working at pace today to review CCTV from the area and speak with witnesses at the scene," Metropolitan Police commander Peter Stevens said in a statement.

“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.

“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.

“We appreciate that this has been a concerning incident, and I commend the actions of the emergency services and members of staff at Heathrow airport.”

Tom Bates, who witnessed the events, said he felt a burning sensation at the back of his throat and noticed people in the crowd starting 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,” he told the BBC.

While police worked to determine the nature of the incident, trains and buses travelling into the airport were halted and routes into the airport's central area were closed temporarily, causing mass disruption for thousands of passengers.

A 31-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault, however, a manhunt is now underway for further suspects.