A bystander, who asked not to be named, said it looked like there was a stand-off between police and the suspect in an alleyway before he heard a woman scream.

"I also heard the words 'he's got a massive knife', or 'he's got a massive sword'," he said.

"Then he disappeared down this alley and he was out of sight."

Hainault 'stabbings' live: Five rushed to hospital

"They [the police] went into the alley and there seemed to be some sort of a stand-off there where I heard this huge commotion, then I heard a scream," he added.

"From that commotion, at least one person was knifed - I think it might have been a woman because I heard a woman scream and then some sort of sobbing sounds.

"I then heard a voice say something like 'she's been stabbed in the face' or 'we need assistance' - you know, calling for medical back-up."

Five people are in hospital and two police officers are said to be among those attacked during the incident near Hainault Tube station this morning.

Police said a vehicle crashed into a house before the attack and a 36-year-old man is now in custody.

Another witness, who didn't want to be named, told Sky News they saw someone on the ground being given CPR and a man run out of a house with a hand "bleeding quite badly".

They said: "I was driving up New North Road just after 7am, it felt eerie and strange, people were scurrying about looking around, like they were on alert for something or someone.

"I spoke to a few guys who told me a man was on the run after stabbing people.

"I see someone being given CPR in Laing Close and a guy ran out a house with his hand in the air bleeding quite bad.

"It was very scary and not something you expect to happen on your doorstep."

A third witness - speaking anonymously - said he saw a man dressed in yellow jumping over some fences.

"I heard shouting, I heard shrieking - I thought 'who would be shrieking at this time in the morning?'

"The shrieking sounded like the police - you know when they are ordering someone to stop or to get on their knees or something - it was like that.

"It was like 'stop where you are, put that down, put that down' - that kind of thing.

"I looked out the back window because the noise was coming from back there. I saw a bloke dressed in yellow jumping over some fences... then he went down an alley like he was going back onto the street again.

"I saw a policeman and policewoman - normal coppers with the short-sleeved shirts - who chased after him and they were shouting for him to put it down."

Metropolitan Police said a 36-year-old man had been arrested and they were not looking for anyone else.

The force said it appeared not to be a terror incident.