A teenage girl and an elderly man were allegedly stabbed with a kitchen knife in a broad daylight attack on a Croydon tram last week.

Officers from the British Transport Police were called to the tram stop close to Wellesley Court Road in Croydon town centre last Thursday at around 4pm. They were called by Tramlink staff and passengers.

It is thought there was an altercation on the tram which ended in a knife attack.

A 14-year-old girl was treated for injuries to her arm and leg while a 77-year-old man sustained an injury to his nose.

Police stressed that the wounds were not major, life threatening injuries and both were taken to Mayday Hospital in Thornton Heath for treatment. They were both later discharged by doctors.

The attack came after the Croydon Guardian reported how new crime statistics revealed that our town centre is one of the most dangerous in London.

Fairfield - the council ward which covers most of the borough's town centre including Wellesley Road - was placed tenth in a Met police league table of crime statistics.

East Croydon railway station, which is also in Fairfield, was reported as the most crime-ridden London station by the London Assembly's transport committee earlier this year.

Croydon British Transport Police Inspector Jack Ioannou said: "This was a rare occurrence and we dealt with it robustly and an arrest was made at the scene.

"It was a very rare attack and only the second knife attack on the trams since I have been in Croydon."

He added: "If we look at it this was not a typical knife attack involving a group of people and I want to reassure the public that it is safe to travel on the tram network. The British Transport Police will continue to police the trams and make them safe."

Police are still appealing for witnesses to come forward.

If you were travelling on the tram and saw the incident, call British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

  • A 43-year-old Croydon woman appeared before Croydon Magistrates' Court on Saturday, September 2, charged with two counts of grievous bodily harm.

Sandra Bell of Wingate Crescent was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Croydon Crown Court for a plea and directions hearing tomorrow (Thursday).