Police believe a knifeman targeted a woman working for US intelligence in an alleged terrorist attack outside a Cheltenham leisure centre.
The victim is said to have been sitting in a car when the knifeman stabbed her in the leisure centre car park before she staggered out of the vehicle for help.
Despite being seriously injured, she managed to rally staff at the sports centre, which was about to close to the public at the time of the attack on Thursday at 9.15 p.m.
Following surgery, the victim was in a stable condition in the hospital yesterday.
The victim is said to have been sitting in a car when the knifeman struck, stabbing her in the car park of the leisure centre. On Friday morning, police were on the scene.
The woman’s identity is unknown, but she is an American spy on secondment to the Government Communications Headquarters, which is only three miles away.
The nature of her work has not been disclosed, but GCHQ has a close relationship with the National Security Agency in the United States.
Agreements signed at the end of World War II remain critical to both nations’ security, with GCHQ claiming that “it has stopped many terrorist plots and saved many lives at home and abroad.” Police were still questioning a man arrested at the scene on suspicion of carrying out a terrorist act last night.
The apparently targeted stabbing was initially treated as attempted murder, but the suspect was arrested again just 24 hours later on suspicion of preparing and instigating a terrorist act.
Police have been searching a Cheltenham property linked to the alleged offender in recent days.
According to sources, the attack is being taken seriously by GCHQ, whose employees work to identify and disrupt terror plots across the UK.
Locals speculated yesterday that the victim knew the suspect and that the two were seen arguing in the car prior to the incident.
‘They were either parked or had pulled into the car park when she was stabbed, and she managed to get out of the car and get to the leisure centre,’ said one neighbour.
‘There were two ambulances, and then the cops arrested the guy in the car. We were told he was Asian.’ According to one woman who lives nearby, residents were puzzled as to how the stabbing could be linked to a terror incident.
‘It’s pretty scary because it’s usually so quiet around here, and the cops never came to talk to anyone at the nearby houses, so maybe they knew something about this before he was arrested.’ The leisure centre in Cheltenham’s St Paul’s district serves both members and ‘pay-as-you-go’ visitors.
Several cars belonging to leisure centre users and staff members who were present at the time of the attack remained in the car park, which had its entry and exit barriers removed.
‘People are very curious about what happened,’ said local councillor Stephan Fifield. The borough council informed me when it occurred, but there has been no further information; police have effectively sealed the case.
‘There is a large parking lot between the leisure centre and the main road.
‘There would be little reason to be there at that time of night because the leisure centre was closing to the public.
‘I don’t recall anything having to do with terrorism in this area.’ Counter Terrorism Policing South East said the stabbing had turned into a terrorism investigation “due to some specific details,” but refused to elaborate.
A 29-year-old Cheltenham man has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offences.
He is currently being held on suspicion of terrorism commission, preparation, or instigation in violation of Section 41 of the Terrorism Act (2000), as well as terrorism preparation in violation of Section 5 of the Terrorism Act (2006).
I would like to reassure those living locally or visiting the county that we believe this was an isolated incident and we are not aware of any wider threat to members of the public,’ said Gloucestershire Constabulary Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone. We collaborate closely with our Counter-Terrorism Policing partners.
‘We understand that an incident of this nature may be concerning, and we would encourage anyone with additional information about the incident to contact us via 101.’
Yesterday, a GCHQ spokesperson declined to comment.
