Man brandishes meat cleaver and threatens to kill Jews in North London kosher deli

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A man has been arrested after trying to enter a kosher shop in north London brandishing a meat cleaver and large knife and threatening to kill two young girls.

The unnamed man is alleged to have entered a kosher shop in the predominantly Orthodox Jewish area of Stamford Hill, north London, waving the weapons and shouting “Where is the boss, I will kill him”.

When he was told the owner was not there, he reportedly ran out of the shop towards two Jewish girls, aged eight and 14, shouting “You Jews run away from here before I kill you”.

The man, who was described as a white and in his 60s, had reportedly tried to get into another kosher deli minutes before but staff had barricaded the door.

The Shomrim, the Jewish neighbourhood watch group in Stamford Hill, said they received numerous calls from frightened members of the public.

Chaim Hochauser, a supervisor with the community group, said: "On Tuesday at just after 4pm, Shomrim in Stamford Hill responded to reports of a male making threats and brandishing a meat cleaver and a large knife, on Upper Clapton Road in Hackney E5.

"Shomrim contained the area where the suspect had fled, and liaised with local and armed police who cordoned off the area, and the suspect was subsequently arrested.”

Gideon Falter, chairman of the Campaign against anti-Semitism, said: “This is an extremely frightening incident and it is very fortunate that there are no injuries reported. We commend Stamford Hill Shomrim and the Metropolitan Police Service for their bravery in rushing to the scene to protect the public."

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “A 61-year-old has been arrested by police in Hackney.

“Police were called at 16:06hrs on Tuesday, 9 May, to a man armed with two knives who had threatened a shopkeeper in Upper Clapton Road, E5.

“Officers attended the location, and detained a man nearby at an address in Rossington Street.

“He was arrested on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon, and taken to a north London police station where he remains in custody. There are no reports of any injuries.”