It is alleged that police were alerted to the man now charged in connection with the Huntingdon train incident before a knife attack aboard a London-bound service, Charity Today understands.
Sources have alleged that a man had earlier entered a barber shop on Queens Walk, in the Fletton area of Peterborough, once on Friday and again on the morning of the incident. Staff are said to have contacted police after being left terrified by his behaviour.
While much of the footage sent to Charity Today has circulated on social media, the publication has reviewed it but has no intention of publishing it out of respect for the ongoing police investigation.
Questions over earlier reports
The emerging timeline has raised questions about whether mental health or safeguarding support could have been offered in the hours before the incident. Witnesses have described the man as appearing agitated, incoherent, and in visible distress during separate visits to the barber shop.
During a Cambridgeshire Police social media ‘Postathon’, the force publicly detailed a report logged at 9.12pm regarding “a man pulling out a kitchen knife in a shop in Fletton, Peterborough.” The post stated that the incident was believed to have occurred earlier that evening, at around 7.25pm.
Police have since confirmed to Charity Today that they are aware of three separate incidents in Peterborough on Friday evening (31 October) and Saturday morning (1 November).
A spokesperson said the first occurred at 7.25pm on Friday when a man with a knife entered a barbers in Fletton. The incident was reported to police at 9.10pm, two hours later. By that point the man had left, so officers did not attend, but a crime was raised.
The second incident was reported at 9.25am on Saturday, again by the same barbers, while the man was reportedly still at the scene. Officers were deployed and arrived within 18 minutes, but were unable to locate the man or identify him. A further crime report was raised.
A third incident, which police believe may be linked, took place on Friday 31 October at 7.10pm when a 14-year-old boy was stabbed by a man with a knife in the city centre. The teenager was taken to Peterborough City Hospital with minor injuries and later discharged. The suspect had left the scene before officers arrived. Despite a search involving police dogs, the offender was not identified, and an investigation was launched.
Police said they are now reviewing all incidents in the timeframe to establish whether there were any further potential offences. British Transport Police retain primacy for the overall investigation, which will include these three incidents.
Cambridgeshire Police also confirmed that the force has voluntarily referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for independent scrutiny — a move it described as “standard practice in these cases.”
A local business owner in Woodston, Peterborough, claimed:
“The police knew about it. I encountered the man twice, once on Friday night and again on Saturday morning. I saw that big kitchen knife he had! I have the CCTV footage! God was watching over us!”
Mental health charities say the incident highlights the need for stronger crisis response mechanisms when members of the public report behaviour that appears to stem from mental distress rather than criminal intent.
A spokesperson for one local charity, who wished to remain anonymous, told Charity Today: “When someone is clearly in crisis, it should trigger a welfare response. We can’t rely solely on police intervention — there has to be a mental health safety net.” Another charity worker added that frontline officers often struggle to access immediate support from mental health professionals, leaving potentially dangerous situations to escalate.
A policing source told Charity Today: “If the reports from Peterborough are accurate, there will be real concern about missed opportunities. The timeline will be looked at very closely.”
At present, no findings have been made in relation to any police handling of earlier reports, and investigators have not confirmed any connection to the man charged.
A man appeared at court this morning (3 November) charged in connection with the incident on a train in Cambridgeshire on Saturday evening (1 November). Anthony Williams, 32, from Peterborough, is charged with ten counts of attempted murder, one count of Actual Bodily Harm (ABH), and one count of possession of a bladed article in connection with the incident at Huntingdon. He is also charged with another count of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in connection with an incident at Pontoon Dock DLR station on the same day.
A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson told Charity Today:
“We are currently reviewing all incidents in the timeframe to understand whether there were any further potential offences. British Transport Police retain primacy for the overall investigation, which will include these three incidents. We voluntarily referred ourselves to the IOPC for independent scrutiny of these incidents, as is standard practice in these cases. However, the referral did not meet the criteria for a valid referral, so they are not investigating the matter.”
An IOPC spokesperson said:
“We were contacted by Cambridgeshire Constabulary on Sunday, 2 November, about an incident on a train from Peterborough to London where several members of the public sustained serious injuries.
“The force made a referral, but we have informed them it did not meet the criteria… as there was no indication of direct or indirect police contact with any of the people seriously injured in the incident.
“We have advised the force that if any conduct matters are identified for any officers or staff, then this should be referred to us.”
The events leading up to the Huntingdon train attack have prompted renewed discussion about how mental health crises are handled across the UK. While it remains unclear whether formal intervention could have prevented the incident, the accounts shared with Charity Today highlight a recurring theme: members of the public recognise signs of distress, but the system does not always respond correctly.
Editor’s note:
Charity Today has great respect for the transparency shown in the police response and acknowledges the force’s voluntary referral to the IOPC for independent scrutiny.
Charity Today does not suggest any wrongdoing by individuals or agencies named in this report. The focus of this article is on broader questions surrounding mental health intervention and crisis response systems in the UK.
