One man is in critical condition and seven men have been arrested after four men were stabbed during an altercation reportedly beginning inside a KFC on Bromley High Street in south-east London.
Updated: September 10, 2026, at 7:34 PM BST
Four men were taken to hospital, including one with life-threatening injuries. Seven men remain in police custody, while officers say there is no wider threat to the public.
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called at approximately 2:15pm on Thursday, September 10, following reports of an altercation on Bromley High Street.
Police attended alongside the London Ambulance Service and Londonâs Air Ambulance and found four men suffering from stab wounds.
One victim was taken to hospital in critical condition. The other three men were receiving treatment for injuries police described as non-life-threatening.
Seven men were arrested following the incident and remained in custody as detectives continued to investigate what led to the violence.
Witnesses describe violence inside Bromley KFC
Witness accounts indicated that the confrontation may have started inside the KFC restaurant on the High Street before continuing outside and towards an alleyway near The Mall shopping centre.
A nearby shop owner told The Telegraph that a customer entered her premises after the incident and reported seeing large knives inside the restaurant.
George Ioannou, who manages a barbershop next to KFC, said he heard loud bangs before a distressed woman entered and urged him to lock the doors. He said the woman told him that people were carrying machetes.
Other witnesses referred to a machete or a so-called zombie knife. However, police have not officially confirmed the type of weapon used, and those descriptions remain witness accounts rather than established findings.
Police officers were seen interviewing KFC employees as part of the investigation. A large cordon covered the town square and surrounding shopping area, while several buses were reportedly caught inside the restricted section between the square and Bromley South railway station.
Emergency vehicles from the police, ambulance and fire services attended the scene. The London Fire Brigade confirmed that its crews were supporting the Metropolitan Police operation.
The incident caused disruption across one of Bromleyâs busiest commercial areas, close to the Churchill Theatre, The Mall and The Glades shopping centre. Customers reportedly cancelled appointments at nearby businesses because they could not reach the area.
Four patients treated as police reassure the public
The London Ambulance Service said it was called at 2:19pm to reports of a stabbing in the BR1 area.
Ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast-response car, an incident response officer and an advanced paramedic were deployed. Londonâs Air Ambulance was also sent to the scene.
All four patients were treated at the scene before being transported to hospital.
The Metropolitan Police said enquiries were continuing but there was not believed to be a wider threat to the public. No details about the ages or identities of the injured men and those arrested had been released at the time of this update.
Peter Fortune, the MP for Bromley and Biggin Hill, said he understood that the incident would cause safety concerns among residents.
âThe police remain in attendance and have made a number of arrests,â Fortune said, adding that he would remain in contact with officers as the investigation continued.
The Bromley incident follows another major emergency response after a woman was stabbed and a man was shot by armed police in Luton.
Anyone with information, CCTV, mobile-phone recordings or dashcam footage can contact police on 101, quoting CAD 4008/10SEP.
Information can also be submitted anonymously through Crimestoppers or by calling 0800 555 111.
This remains a developing investigation. Details will be updated if police announce charges, release the suspects or provide new information about the critically injured man.
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