British counter-terrorism police said Sunday they were investigating an attempted murder which "has hallmarks of a terror event, inspired by the far-right" and a 50-year-old man has been arrested.
Counter Terrorism Police South East said it was investigating the non-fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old man on Saturday evening in Stanwell, southern England, following reports of a man "acting aggressively and shouting racist comments whilst carrying a baseball bat and a knife."
"Whilst this investigation is still in its infancy, it has hallmarks of a terror event, inspired by the far-right, and therefore it has been declared a terrorism incident," Neil Basu, head of counter-terrorism policing, said in a statement.
"This allows us to use all of the specialist capabilities available to establish the full circumstances of this attack," he said, adding that local police would patrol places of worship and businesses to protect against potential threats.
The stabbing happened around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday. The wounded man escaped by car to a nearby McDonalds, where medical personnel treated his injuries, which are reportedly non-life threatening.
Stanwell is about a kilometer (mile) from London's Heathrow Airport.
The far-right attack came just a day after an Australian-born white supremacist carried out a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, massacring 50 Muslim worshipers during Friday prayer.
More than 40 people are still being treated in hospital for injuries, including a 4-year-old child, after the terror attack thought to be the deadliest directed against Muslims in the West in modern times.
The man who claimed responsibility for the shootings said in a 74-page anti-immigrant "manifesto" that he came to New Zealand only to plan and train for the attack.
