PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Russell Square 'knifeman', 19, was 'quiet, shy pupil who was bullied at his London school' as victim is named as Florida professor's wife who was due to fly home TODAY 

Zakaria Bulhan, 19 (pictured as a schoolboy), moved to the UK from Norway in 2002, and was said to be suffering possible 'mental health issues' when he allegedly stabbed his unsuspecting victims in Russell Square last night

The Somali-born man accused of stabbing an American citizen to death and injuring five others in the Russell Square attack was a 'quiet, shy pupil who was bullied at his London secondary school', MailOnline can reveal.

Zakaria Bulhan, 19, moved to the UK from Norway in 2002, and was said to be suffering possible 'mental health issues' when he allegedly began silently stabbing his unsuspecting victims in a busy London street last night.

His former friends from Graveney School in Tooting, south London, have now revealed how Chelsea football fan Bulhan was a quiet boy who was bullied in the early stages of secondary school.

One friend said: ‘He was quite quiet, but had friends. He was a little bullied but nothing too extreme.’

It came as his victim was revealed to be 64-year-old Darlene Horton - the wife of a Florida professor who was due to return to her native America later today. 

Retired teacher Ms Horton has spent the last few weeks in the UK with her husband, psychology professor Richard Wagner, as part of a summer study programme and was enjoying her last night in the capital before they planned to fly back to their home in Tallahassee.

However, she was brutally stabbed to death with a kitchen knife at about 10.30pm in Russell Square last night.

The keen tennis player's last words were 'he's still here, he's still here' as she tried to warn others of the attacker before she was found in a pool of blood after being stabbed in the back.

She could not be saved, despite the best efforts of paramedics, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses said her shocked husband sobbed nearby as her body lay sprawled on the pavement overnight.

The Somali-born Norwegian national accused of stabbing Ms Horton to death and injuring five others was said to be suffering possible 'mental health issues' when he allegedly launched the shocking mass stabbing.

As well as killing Ms Horton, the knifeman also injured five others including Israeli holidaymaker Yovel Levkowki, 18, who was slashed across the hand as she approached him to offer help after believing he was a victim. 

She said she was lucky to be alive after watching the attacker go on to slaughter Ms Horton in front of her eyes. 

'I don't know if it's luck or fate but it's a miracle,' she said. 'The woman standing next to me died before my eyes.'

Police said the other victims include a British man who remains in a 'serious but stable' condition after being stabbed in the stomach. An American man, who suffered chest wounds, an Australian woman who was stabbed in the back and an Australian man who was stabbed in the chest, were all discharged from hospital today.

Retired teacher and keen tennis player Darlene Horton, 64 (pictured), was due to return to America today with her Florida professor husband but was stabbed to death by a Somali-born knifeman in the Russell Square attack at 10.30pm last night

Survivor: Yovel Lewkowki, 18, pictured posing by the Thames before the attack, thought the killer needed help - but was stabbed herself and saw his victim die

Victim: Israeli Yovel Lewkowki, 18, was stabbed in the hand by the killer who murdered one and injured five more on Russell Square last night

Take down: The moment the knifeman is tackled by police on the street outside Russell Square

Captured: Chanel Britton, 19, of Barnsley, captured the moment the 19-year-old Somali teenager who came to the UK from Norway was pinned down by police after he murdered one American and injured five other passers-by

Remembered: Bunches of flowers and single roses have been left against the fence where the American victim died last night

Tonight, Bulhan's former friends claimed he had allegedly threatened to stab his friends two years ago after he started 'acting strangely'.

She said: 'They had been friends for five years roughly, but when everyone left Graveney they distanced themselves because he was acting odd – [making] weird threats.

'He said to another mutual friend he wanted to stab his friends. But this apparently wasn't true according to Zak. Apparently it was a joke.'

The classmate said he was not religious, adding: 'He was quite quiet, but had friends. He was a little bullied but nothing too extreme.' 

She said old schoolfriends of Bulhan had seen the news and were shocked to see his name linked to the incident.

Earlier today, police raided the south London council flat where he lived with his family. Neighbours of alleged knifeman said his mother was 'really nice' but knew little about her two sons.

The family live on the middle floor of a three-storey block of flats next to St George's Hospital in Tooting.

As two uniformed police officers stood guard outside the flat today, the neighbour described how police have been coming in and out all day.

The unnamed woman said: 'There was lots of policemen there this morning.The mother is always here. She's really kind and friendly and always opened the door and got parcels for us.

'They're a Muslim family, the mother always wore a full black burka.

'I asked the police what is happening but they can't say at the moment. I heard lots of banging and noises and saw the police carrying out a black bag'.

The neighbour who lives above Bulhan's flat heard a raid and saw 'around 30 officers on the stairs.'

A downstairs neighbour confirmed that a mother and two young men live in the flat. He said: 'I've only really spoken to them to say 'hi'. The mother is very pleasant. She always asks after me and my mother. 

'I've never had a conversation with either of the two boys. Apparently they are Somalian but they all speak with an English accent. The mother is really quiet. She always has her hijab on but she's a very pleasant woman and speaks proper English'. 

Brave: The teenager had rushed to try to help someone when she was slashed - having been for dinner with her grandad

Message: In an emotional Facebook post, Yovel pleaded with her friends to make the most of life. 'The last few hours have taught me to appreciate every second

The killer, a Somali who came to Britain from Norway in 2002, brutally stabbed to death the US citizen and knifed five others including Miss Levkowki, who had been out for dinner with her grandfather. 

He was Tasered to the ground by police and pinned down by up to eight officers who were called to Russell Square. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and spent the night in hospital before being moved to a south London police station.

This evening, Florida State University paid tribute to Ms Horton – the wife of one of its professors.

FSU president John Thrasher said: 'There are no words to express our heartache over this terrible tragedy.

'We are shocked that such senseless violence has touched our own FSU family, and we will do all we can to assist Professor Wagner and his loved ones, as well as his friends and colleagues in the psychology department, as they mourn.'

Earlier, one witness told how she tried to use towels she had bought on an earlier shopping trip to stem the flow of blood from the American victim.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, told MailOnline: 'I was just trying to console her. The victim said something about: 'He's still here, he's still here' - after that she was not lucid. That's when I saw someone. He was meandering about. He was very disturbed'.  

Searched: Officers pinned the suspect to the floor and checked him for other weapons before also checking him with a torch

Tributes: Several bunches of flowers were left against railings at the scene of the mass stabbing in Russell Square today

Describing what happened, victim Yovel Levkowki said: 'I was afraid it was a terrorist incident, and I was sure that the two men fleeing from the event were victims.

'I went to help the first one of the men and felt pain in my hand. I thought I just got hit, but it turned out he was stabbing me. The other man chasing him was trying to stop him, and in the end managed to catch him,' she told Y Net.

Yovel was on holiday as a final celebration before starting her army service in five days' time.

She and her grandfather were staying at a well-known hotel in Russell Square, and had just had dinner in a Thai restaurant nearby.

'I saw a woman lying on the floor, covered in blood,' she told Israeli media. 'Her husband was supporting her.

'Suddenly I discovered that I was bleeding. I looked and saw that the attacker stabbed me in the hand as I was running.

'A man at the scene tried to calm me down, but he was also covered in blood and wounded by stabbing.

'Within a few minutes, six police cars and an ambulance sealed off the area and began to help the wounded.

'They tried to revive the woman covered in blood, but she had lost a lot of blood and within minutes she was dead.'

Yovel added that the dead woman's husband was sitting in the street, stunned.

'They even started to resuscitate the man who tried to calm me down,' she said. 'Luckily, he survived.' 

Drama: Police were at the scene in five minutes and managed to disarm the man with a Taser and arresting him

Aftermath: Witnesses heard screams and rushed to windows to photograph the victim's body, which had been covered by a white sheet

Swamped: Dozens of police officers were in the square within six minutes of the first 999 call - but tragically the American victim stabbed in the back could not be saved

Fight for life: Emergency services tend to the American woman who would later die from her injuries

In an emotional Facebook post, Yovel pleaded with her friends to make the most of life. 

'The last few hours have taught me to appreciate every second,' she said.

'It was a matter of seconds, of feet and breath. You need to spend every minute strengthening your family.'

She added that her injury was not life-threatening. 'My hand was fine,' she said.

'I was evacuated for medical treatment, had my hand bandaged and was given a lot of pills to prevent infection.

'The attacker stabbed five people in front of me and the doctors were concerned that I would catch something from the blood of other people that was still on the knife.'

After the recent atrocities in Europe, she said her first instinct was that this was another terror attack.

'The attacker was dark-skinned and bald and the knife he was holding was a small kitchen knife,' she said. 'He was very calm and cool.'

The killer's victim died in a pool of blood as she was cradled by a family of Spanish tourists, as the 19-year-old silently stabbed pedestrians in the back, side and arms who were left 'screaming and covered in blood'.

As well as Miss Levkowki, another woman and three men - who were British, American, Israeli and Australian - were taken to hospital. The British survivor is said to remain in a 'serious but stable condition' in hospital while the three others have since been discharged. 

Tragedy: The female victim's body, a US citizen, lay under this tent surrounded by medical equipment used as paramedics fought to save her

Evidence: A forensic expert analyses the knife used by the attacker during the mass stabbing, which is unlikely to be terror related, police say

Terror: The body of a woman in her 60s is taken from the scene at Russell Square this morning where a knifeman killed her as she walked along the street

Ring of steel: Scotland Yard has sent dozens of armed officers on to the streets today, including on Russell Square, pictured, to reassure the public - and protect if there is any other incident

Location: The killer stabbed the woman to death across the road from the famous Imperial Hotel before running around the corner where he was arrested

Chanel Britton, 19, of Barnsley, who was staying in one of Russell Square's many hotels, captured the moment up to eight officers searched the attacker after he was Tasered to the ground.

The footage of his arrest emerged as Britain's top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley said they have now interviewed the suspect, spoken to his family, searched his London home and liaised with MI5 and MI6 and believe it was a 'spontaneous' and 'random' attack, not 'motivated by terrorism'.

Defending his decision to suggest terrorism as a motive earlier today, he said: 'You would expect us in the current climate to consider all possibilities'. 

As police investigate the murder, it emerged:

• A 19-year-old of Somali origin, who came to the UK from Norway in 2002, has been arrested on suspicion of murder after he stabbed six people in Russell Square at around 10.30pm last night. 
• An American in her 60s was fatally injured. The others hurt were British, American, Israeli and Australian and all were treated in hospital. Three were discharged this morning. None are critically ill.
• Spanish family of four - believed to be on holiday in London - cradled the woman as she died on the pavement, and victim's last words were to warn them: 'He's still here' before she fell unconscious
• Witnesses say killer was slashing 'anyone he could see' with his knife before he was Tasered by police. 
• Britain's top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley said detectives had considered terrorist motive but now stabbings appear to be 'triggered by mental health issues'. MI5 and MI6 have no record of killer being an extremist
• Scotland Yard has sent out armed units to patrol the streets as London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged the public to remain 'calm and vigilant'. 

Brazilian Fernando, 40, who was cycling through the square at the same time said the killer was slashing at people with his knife in complete silence.

The killer's blade was abandoned on the pavement next to the body of the unnamed victim, which remained under a forensics tent overnight and was taken away by ambulance this morning.

The Met has sent scores of armed officers on to the streets of London - including members of its new elite counter-terror unit - to reassure the public and in case there is a new attack.

The attacker struck at the heart of London's tourist centre, packed with hotels. At 10.30pm, when he stabbed his victims, the area was full of people who had enjoyed a night in the West End.

One witness claimed he may have jumped off a moped before slashing at his victims.

A source said the suspect was seen to go 'on the rampage' with the weapon. Another witness said he heard one of the victim's scream before running over to help them. 

Battling: Police and paramedics raced to deal with the incident that saw five people injured as well as the one woman killed

Police and paramedics are pictured at the scene following the mass stabbing in Russell Square at around 10.30pm last night 

Clear-up: An officer collects the blood-stained clothes of the victims as the man who stabbed them remains under police guard today

Held: This is the area of Russell Square where the killer was Tasered and arrested, where he dropped the murder weapon

Fernando, 40, from Brazil told MailOnline how he cycled into the horrific scene his way home last night and saw the murder victim slumped against the fence of Russell Square's famous gardens and called the emergency services.

He said: 'I was cycling home from work and some people stopped me in the street asking for help to call an ambulance. I saw an old lady lying against the wall - she had collapsed. I had to call 999, but it took a bit of time because I didn't know the postcode, then two or three minutes later a car full of police turned up. That was the moment I realised she had not just collapsed but had been stabbed.'

According to Fernando, a Spanish family of four – a mother, father and their two daughters thought to be in their 20s – were looking after the American woman who died at the scene.

'She was being cradled in the lap of a Spanish tourist who was trying to keep her alive. I didn't hear the old woman speak – she had been stabbed in the back,' he said.

According to witnesses, the scale of the attack was initially unclear as Fernando said at first he had no idea that other people had been injured.

'I don't know if she was alive when I left – I think she had already died – she wasn't talking. The Spanish girl tried to talk to her and keep her alive. She said to me before I left that she was still breathing.

'I realised it was a stabbing when they started giving her first aid. Then I realised more people had been stabbed.'

Witnesses said the attacker was chubby, had been wearing black shorts and a white t-shirt and that he left with the knife, which he carried in his right hand.

Fernando was told that the attacker had been hiding his face with his forearm as he ran along stabbing people in the back.

'He did not shout anything,' he said, adding that people didn't shout either – terrified that the attack was not over.

Jodie Parry, said the attacker ignored police as they screamed at him to stop running.

She said: 'I could hear the policeman screaming 'stop, don't move, don't go any further, just stay where you are' and he turned around and continued running. He just wasn't prepared to stop.'

She added: 'He was actually carrying a knife in his hand and he had blood on his hands.'

Oscar Kaysan described how the knife man was tackled to the ground by eight police officers.

Mr Kaysan, who lives nearby, said: 'First he was standing then they shout him. He was really shouting.

'He was heavy built - two police officers could not contain him. There was six to eight police officers who held him down. He was big.

Mr Kaysan said he believes he was speaking English, but added: 'What he was saying does not make sense. It was just screaming. It was so loud, he was making so much noise.'

A guest at the nearby Penn Club hotel said the man was making a 'continuous scream'.

Hotel staff on Russell Square, an area always packed with tourists, said the attacker was completely silent and was 'just going for anyone he could see' before he was shot with a Taser and pinned face-down by police.

One worker told the Standard: 'The police came to the hotel and a guest was telling them what he saw. He said there was a madman running around with a knife just lunging at people randomly and stabbing them'.

A night receptionist at the Repton Hotel, overlooking the scene, said: 'I saw a woman lying on the floor with police standing over her, checking to see if she was alive.

'She looked unconscious, they were shaking her but she was lying still. Then the ambulance arrived. A guest came in shortly afterwards saying she saw police chasing a man down the street.' 

Shocking: The woman's body remained on the pavement at the scene with a forensics tent covering it until the early this morning, when it was covered and taken into a waiting ambulance

Murder: This is the spot where the woman in her sixties died last night on pavement in Russell Square which was still covered in blood this morning

Crime scene: Police have sealed off this section of Russell Square, one of London's busiest areas, and was packed with tourists heading to their hotels after a night in the West End

Contrast: Detectives, believed to be from the Met's homicide squad, collect evidence as officers were handed flowers they laid at the scene today

Clean up: Council workers wash blood from the pavement on Russell Square today as police took down the forensics tent

Probe: Police have cordoned off the area and a heavy presence of officers and paramedics remain at the scene this morning as homicide and anti-terror officers investigate what happened

Fresh security:  Officers with sniffer dogs have been put on duty at train stations including Kings Cross, pictured today

Show of strength: Uniformed armed officers were across the capital today including on patrol at Horse Guard's Parade, left, and around the area of the knife attacks

Police cordoned off the area and additional police patrols were put in place in London. Police helicopters hovered over the city well into the early hours.

The incident occurred in the same area as where one of the 7/7 bombs detonated in 2005. A total of 26 people were killed when Germaine Lindsay, 19, detonated a suicide bomb on a Piccadilly line Tube as it moved between King's Cross station and Russell Square.

On the same day a bus was destroyed on Tavistock Square, which is just up the street.

Last night's incident came hours after the Met unveiled its brand new elite anti-terror unit.

Scotland Yard initially confirmed that 'terrorism was one possibility being explored' but also said that early indications suggest 'mental health is a significant factor in this case'.

The Met's Assistant Commissioner for special operations, Mark Rowley, said it had been a 'tragic incident'.

He said: 'Early indications suggest that mental health is a significant factor in this case and that is one major line of inquiry.

'But of course at this stage we should keep an open mind regarding motive and, consequently, terrorism as a motivation remains but one line of inquiry for us to explore,' he said.

'Armed officers arrived at the scene within five minutes, they discharged the Taser whilst confronting and arresting the suspect.

'Six people have been injured, including the one woman who sadly died at the scene, and the others have received various injuries.'

He confirmed murder detectives and the counter-terrorism unit had been brought in to investigate the killing.

Following the incident, Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe vowed to protect the capital, adding: 'A normal night out in our busy capital has ended in horrific circumstances.'

He said: 'My thoughts are with the family of the woman who was murdered and those who were injured.'

The investigation is 'moving very quickly', Sir Bernard said.

He went on: 'As we have already made clear, mental health remains a substantial focus for our investigation'

'I am proud that last night our specialist firearms officers were on the scene in six minutes and, using only a Taser, detained the subject. That demonstrates our commitment to use force in a professional and proportionate way.

'Their swift response undoubtedly helped to prevent more people from getting injured.'

This morning, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan called for the public to remain 'calm and vigilant' as police investigate whether the knife attack was terror-related.

Mr Khan said his 'heart goes out to the victims of the incident in Russell Square and their loved ones' after the death of the woman. 

Police forensic officers are pictured searching the scene with torches in the early hours as they continue to gather evidence

Forensic officers have remained at the scene into the early hours to gather evidence after a woman died and five others were injured when a man 'went on the rampage' and began 'injuring people with a knife' near a park in Russell Square, London

Additional police officers have been deployed to the central London area to reassurance residents as it emerged the Met is treating the incident as a possible terror-related offence. The 'stabbing' occurred in the same area as one of the 7/7 bombings

Forensic officers could be seen collecting evidence as a forensic tent covered a section of the pavement in Russell Square

Police officers negotiate a forensic tent at the scene which is opposite the Imperial Hotel and near a park in Russell Square

Police officers guard the scene where one women died and several were injured in a suspected knife attack in Russell Square

A fully-suited forensic officer inspects the scene with a torch as police remain at the scene to gather evidence over the killing

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said in a press conference that terrorism was one line of inquiry

Matthew Barzun, US ambassador to the UK, tweeted his condolences following the attack.

'Heartbreaking news that a U.S. citizen was killed in #RussellSquare attack. My prayers are with all the victims and their loved ones,' he wrote.

The Russell Square knife murder suspect emigrated to Britain from Norway in 2002 when he was around five-years-old.

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has appointed a liaison officer to assist in the case, confirmed the 19-year-old emigrated 14 years ago.

Philippa Baglee, who was in London to celebrate her 60th birthday, said the knifeman paraded down the street

A spokesman said: 'We will assist the British police in the normal manner, with information and any requests they might have in their investigation.'

Eyewitness Zuhair Awartani told the BBC he saw the attacker being arrested.

He said: 'I arrived here at my hotel and I saw the guy getting arrested just on the block. There were two police cars and he was like African - a dark-skinned man'.

Helen Edwards passed by as police arrested the man and said she believed that someone else may also have been attacked in a side road.

There are also fears that the knifeman operated with an accomplice as the Met refused to rule out arresting more suspects. One witness said he saw 'a man flee on a motorbike'. Others suggested a gang may have been involved.

Philippa Baglee, who was in London to celebrate her 60th birthday, was walking past Russell Square when she saw a group of people looking down at the ground.

She said: 'There was someone lying on the ground and lots of people around and a guy with a black motorcycle helmet balanced on top of his head walking around.

'He was on the outside of everyone looking on the ground.

'The moment I saw an ambulance and police car arrive, I thought someone had just been knocked off their bike.'

Asked to describe the man, she said he was short and dressed in what she thought was all black leathers.

She continued: 'It was all very calm. No-one was panicking. I just went back in.'

Ms Baglee added that she did not find out what had happened until Thursday morning. 'It's a bit scary, I have just come for a couple of nights for my 60th.' 

Police confirmed a man was arrested after he was seen 'brandishing a knife' and 'injuring people' in front of horrified onlookers in Russell Square last night. Pictured: A heavy police presence remained at the scene overnight due to the incident

A forensic tent is seen covering a section of the pavement - believed to be covering the woman's body - in Russell Square at around 2am today following the incident last night

An eyewitness, who called himself Michael, told MailOnline that he saw a woman - aged around 25 - with blood pouring from her back. He said another woman of the same age was suffering a wounded arm.

He said: 'I heard a scream, and then we went to the park and I saw a girl lying on the floor with blood coming from her back. Another girl had blood on her arm.'

Paul Hutchinson, a taxi driver, said he passed the incident shortly after it occurred.

He said: 'I drove past Russell Square and the road wasn't shut but the pavement was all taped off by police, lots of armed police, lots of cars and the body was just lying on the floor. You could see the boots sticking out from under the cloth.

'Loads of armed police, cars with lights on and the body on the floor.'

Pol O'Geibheannigh, 45, was walking back from the cinema when he saw a massive police presence and a woman lying in a pool of blood.

He said: 'I just knew right away that this is not right. You just don't see armed police around this area.

'This was just wall to wall with armed police. You could see a woman on the floor. There was dark matter around her, which was obviously blood.

'She was lying in a pool of blood with a red blanket on top of her. I went into the bar and it wasn't until an hour later that they put the tent up.

'And then at about 12.30, when we were coming out, there were about five or six people running off towards Bedford Square.

'That level of police presence I haven't seen since 7/7 and I was here - I live around the corner.

'But it was just a matter of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time.' 

Police officers are seen patrolling the scene in Russell Square after the possible 'terror-related' mass stabbing last night

The forensic tent remained covering a section of the pavement as evidence appeared to lay scattered on the floor overnight

Police officers investigate the mass stabbing at Russell Square which left one woman dead and five other people injured

Much of the area has been cordoned off by police as patrols are stepped up in the area to 'reassure residents' after the attack

A forensic tent is seen covering the pavement in Russell Square with a heavy police cordon in place in the early hours

SO WHERE WERE THEY? 'TERRORIST ATTACK' COMES JUST HOURS AFTER SCOTLAND YARD SHOWBOATED NEW HEAVILY ARMED COUNTER -TERROR UNIT 

The mass stabbing in Russell Square came just hours after the Met Police unveiled its brand new anti-terror unit. 

Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe unveiled the plan to put more highly visible patrols, armed to the teeth with pistols and semi-automatic SIG Carbine rifles, at major landmarks as a deterrent to potential attackers.

As well as guns, the new generation of armed officers also have BMW F800GS motorbikes to allow them to scramble to an incident anywhere in the capital and speed boats so they can deploy from the Thames.

The mass stabbing in Russell Square came just hours after the Met Police unveiled its brand new anti-terror unit. Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe announced the plan for more highly visible patrols and heavily armed officers

The new officers are masked in order to protect their identity from attackers, which can help in a variety of different circumstances - from hostage situations, targeted attacks to kidnap attempts. The masks provide an extra layer of safety for counter-terrorism officers as they carry out their various specialist tasks.

But yesterday's announcement - dubbed Operation Hercules by the Met - came against a backdrop of warnings from the Police Federation that it will take two years to deliver a promised increase of 1,500 in the trained-strength of armed officers across the country.

And, embarrassingly, just hours after a showboating attempt on the Thames to unveil the counter-terrorism unit - police found themselves scrambled to the possible 'terror related' mass stabbing in Russell Square.

More British police officers are carrying guns after a spate of attacks on the continent, including the Bastille Day massacre in Nice and the murder of a priest in a Normandy Church last week. The expanded firearms units were promised after the Paris attacks last November.

The new police patrols have specialist speed boats so they can deploy from the River Thames in an emergency. However, just hours after the anti-terror unit was unveiled, they were missing from the possible terror related attack in Russell Square

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A 35-year-old man, who did not wish to be named, said he saw three men fleeing nearby Queen Square shortly after the incident. 'One man fled on a motorcycle heading down a pedestrianised area,' he said. 'He obviously looked in a hurry.'

Meanwhile, a guest at the Imperial Hotel said he saw a man lying on the ground. He told MailOnline: 'There was all sorts of commotion going on'.

He added that guests at the hotel have been asked to enter through the rear entrance as the front is cordoned off by police.

Local resident Helen Edwards, 31, said the panic reminded her of the 7/7 attacks. She was woken by the bus bomb at Tavistock Square on July 7, 2005.

Talking about last night's incident, she said: 'It was a bit surreal. It brings back memories of 7/7. I was woken by the bus bomb that day.

'I was walking near Russell Square tonight when I saw several armed police officers and armed response units. I walked around the cordon and saw an ambulance and loads of people.'

Other witnesses took to Twitter to share news of the attack. Abdulrahman Muammar wrote: '#London Russell Square locked down & surrounded with police officers. Many police cars & ambulances.'

Helen Edwards tweeted: '#Police guarding cordon around #russellsquare #bedfordplace #southamptonrow. Saw armed police & paramedics earlier. I saw armed police guarding the cordon around Russell Square plus ambulance at other end of Bedford place.' 

A woman has died and up to five people have been injured in a possible terrorist knife attack in Russell Square in central London, police said. Pictured: Police and paramedics at the scene

A police van remains parked in the road outside the Imperial Hotel in Russell Square in the early hours of this morning following the incident which could be 'terror-related', police say

Meanwhile, Lauren Brittny said: 'Sadly my brother and his mates witnessed the stabbing in Russell Square. And the police obviously arrived too late. My brother rang me at time as he was in shock. But all he said was the man quickly jogged passed him.

'My brother was at UCL summer camp and they were returning from a theatre trip . His mentors were guarding them so he was unable to do much I wish he filmed the guy. But everyone was stunned by the situation.

'My brother said the woman was surrounded with her friend he suspected they were on a Hen night.'

The Met said one suspect was detained after being Tasered at the scene of the incident - opposite the three-star Imperial Hotel and near a quiet park.

A spokesman said: 'Police were called at 10.33pm to reports of a man seen in possession of a knife injuring people at Russell Square, WC1.

'Officers attended the scene along with the London Ambulance Service.

'Up to six people were found injured at the location.

'A female was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead a short time later.

'We await an update on the condition of the other persons injured and details of any other injuries.' 

A forensic tent is seen covering part of the pavement in Russell Square following the 'stabbing'

A police cordon remained at the scene in Russell Square in the early hours of this morning

Police added that the man was arrested at the scene six minutes after the incident.

The spokesman added: 'A man was arrested at 10.39pm and a Taser was discharged by one of the arresting officers.

'Terrorism is one possibility being explored at this stage.'

Additional police units have been deployed to the area to provide reassurance. Extra patrols will also be carried out in the area near the British Museum in Bloomsbury.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. 

Additional reporting by: Keiligh Baker, Gareth Davies, James Dunn, Ollie Gillman, Emma Glanfield and Isabel Hunter for MailOnline

'Nice to wake up to the news': Vile ISIS supporters celebrate Russell Square bloodbath in 'centre of Christendom' 

ISIS supporters have already expressed delight at the stabbing attack in London that left one American woman dead and five people injured.

In the hours after the attack ISIS linked accounts on social media were soon reporting the news of the stabbings in a tourist hotspot in the heart of the British capital.

US counter terrorism analyst Michael S. Smith posted on Twitter that the volume of communications in ISIS-linked social media accounts was 'low'

ISIS supporters have already expressed delight at the stabbing attack in London that left one woman dead and five people injured.

According to Michael S. Smith II, a US based expert for the Congressional Taskforce on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, IS-linked social media channels spread the news in the early hours of this morning UK time.

The ISIS-linked group account on private social media channels linked to on Twitter published pictures on the aftermath of the attack. 

The Arabic-language account, called the 'News Publishing Service', which has a logo incorporating a rifle said: 'Here you have a picture of the site where the stabbing took place, Russell Square in the centre of 'Christendom' London.'

It was also reported that an Arabic-language account wrote that 'It's nice to wake up to such news'.

Mr Smith wrote on Twitter that the volume of communications in ISIS-linked social media accounts was 'low'.

Police have confirmed that they have no reason to believe the knife man - a 19-year-old Norwegian national of Somali origin - had been radicalized.

Britain's top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley said they have now interviewed the suspect, spoken to his family, searched his London home and liaised with MI5 and MI6 and believe it was a 'spontaneous' and 'random' attack, not 'motivated by terrorism'.

Defending his decision to suggest terrorism as a motive earlier today he said: 'You would expect us in the current climate to consider all possibilities'. 

The account wrote: 'And here you have a picture of the site where the stabbing took place, Russell Square in the centre of 'Christendom' London'

 It was also reported that an Arabic-language account wrote that: 'It's nice to wake up to such news'

Mr Smith monitors more than 50 ISIS-linked social media channels that spread breaking news to invite-only followers on private networks in a bid to incite violence.

While the accounts don't celebrate the news of violence directly, he says the reactions to ISIS-led attacks are like a 'jihadgasm', where as reports of random acts of violence are met with passing interest.

'After [the lorry terrorist attack on Bastille Day in] Nice there was an explosion immediately after on Telegram and on Twitter,' he told MailOnline. 

'It's common where you have the reporting in Europe of violent events – like Munich and London last night - there's interest but you don't see the same confidence that it was an ISIS attack as you would see with Nice.'

According to Mr Smith, the news is spread to help remind supporters that it's easy to go out and commit terrorist attacks on soft targets - or to provide real time information of where to find police responding to an emergency.  

Armed officers and sniffer dogs take to London's streets after bloodbath

Londoners have woken up to find their streets, Tube stations and landmarks under guard from armed police officers and sniffer dogs following a mass stabbing in the capital.

Just hours after the Metropolitan Police revealed their new elite unit, which is armed with pistols and semi-automatic rifles, a man went on the rampage with a knife in Russell Square, killing a woman in her 60s and leaving five others injured. 

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley immediately promised London will see more armed officers on patrol in public today in the wake of the attack. 

Londoners have woken up to find their streets, Tube stations and landmarks under guard from armed police officers and sniffer dogs following a mass stabbing in the capital 

Armed police officers patrol the scene of last night's knife attack in Russell Square in London

This morning commuters were confronted with heavily armed police and sniffer dogs patrolling Tube stations and other landmarks in the capital. 

Mr Rowley said last night:  'As a precautionary measure tomorrow Londoners will wake up and in the morning they will notice an increased police presence on the streets including armed officers.

'This is there to provide reassurance and safety and we ask the public to remain calm, vigilant and alert.'

Officers arrived at Russell Square to find six people injured including a woman who died a short time later.

Armed police officers (top) patrol King's Cross station this afternoon following the incident

Scotland Yard confirmed that 'terrorism is one possibility being explored at this stage' and also said that early indications suggest that 'mental health is a significant factor in this case'

This morning commuters were confronted with heavily armed police and sniffer dogs patrolling Tube stations and other landmarks in the capital

A police officer and sniffer dog outside King's Cross station in London this morning

Armed police arrested a 19-year-old man at Russell Square after he allegedly attacked the woman, who was in her 60s.

'Early indications suggest that mental health is a significant factor in this case and that is one major line of inquiry,' London Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said.

'But of course at this stage we should keep an open mind regarding motive and consequently terrorism as a motivation remains but one line of inquiry for us to explore.'   

One witness said he saw 'a man flee on a motorbike', while another described hearing one of the victim's 'screaming and covered in blood'.

One witness said he saw 'a man flee on a motorbike', while another described hearing one of the victim's 'screaming and covered in blood

Armed police arrested a 19-year-old man at Russell Square after he attacked a woman, who was in her 60s and who died from her injuries at the scene

Fears that the knifeman operated with an accomplice were raised in the early hours as the Met refused to rule out further suspects. 

One witness said he saw 'a man flee on a motorbike', while another described hearing a victim 'screaming and covered in blood'. 

Scotland Yard confirmed that 'terrorism is one possibility being explored at this stage' and also said that early indications suggest that 'mental health is a significant factor in this case'. 

The attack comes just one day after Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe unveiled the plan to put more highly visible patrols, armed to the teeth, at major landmarks as a deterrent to potential attackers.  

As well as guns, the new generation of armed officers also have BMW F800GS motorbikes to allow them to scramble to an incident anywhere in the capital and speed boats so they can deploy from the Thames.

The new officers are masked in order to protect their identity from attackers, which can help in a variety of different circumstances - from hostage situations, targeted attacks to kidnap attempts. 

 London woke up to an increased police presence - particularly on and near public transport

 Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe unveiled the plan to put more highly visible patrols, armed to the teeth with pistols and semi-automatic SIG Carbine rifles, at major landmarks as a deterrent to potential attackers

The masks provide an extra layer of safety for counter-terrorism officers as they carry out their various specialist tasks.

But the announcement - dubbed Operation Hercules by the Met - came against a backdrop of warnings from the Police Federation that it will take two years to deliver a promised increase of 1,500 in the trained-strength of armed officers across the country.

HISTORY OF TERROR ATTACKS IN BRITAIN

Lee Rigby was murdered outside his barracks in Woolwich, London, in May 2013

July 7 2005 (7/7) - 52 people were killed and over 700 more injured when four Islamic extremists bombed the London underground.

Four bombs exploded within fifty minutes in what was the worst terror attack ever in Britain in July 2005.

May 22 2013 - Lee Rigby was murdered outside his barracks in Woolwich, London.

His murderers, two Muslim extremists yelled 'Allahu Akbar' and 'You (Britain) and America will never be safe' during their sentencing at the court in Central London.

They ran him down in a car before murdering him with a machete as onlookers watched on in horror, bringing terror to a busy London street.

July 7 2015 - Mohammed Rehman, 25, plotted with his wife Sana Ahmed Khan, 24, to blow up Westfield Shopping Centre or the London Underground on the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 bombings.

Their plot was only foiled when Rehman - who called himself the 'silent bomber' - sent a tweet asking for advice on which was the best target.

Officers found 10kg of nitrate explosives - double the amount of powder used in the failed 21/7 London bombings - in his home. The pair have been jailed for life.

December 5 2015 - Somali-born Muhiddin Mire, 30, went on a knife rampage at a ticket hall at Leytonstone Underground station and tried to slit one man's throat.

He had images of Fusilier Lee Rigby and British executioner Jihadi John on his mobile phone, along with material linked to the terror group.

As he held a knife to his throat, an onlooker famously said 'You ain't no Muslim bruv' in footage that got widespread media coverage. 

April 2016 - Police discover that Mohamed Abrini, the man who played a crucial role in both the Paris attack that killed 130 people last November and the Brussels bombings, which left 32 dead, targeted Britain.

French prosecutors said he had visited Birmingham and they found images of a football stadium and a shopping centre on his phone when they arrested him. 

July 20 2016 - Two men tried to kidnap an airman at RAF Marham, Norfolk, but he managed to fight them off, punching and headbutting the man who grabbed him. The two men fled and are still at large.

Yesterday -  British soldiers were warned not to wear their uniforms near the base in RAF Aldershot after two men were seen acting suspiciously near the barracks.