London Heathrow Airport ‘pepper spray’ incident: What’s the latest?
December 8, 2025
Police were called to the multi-storey car park at Terminal 3 of Heathrow Airport on Sunday morning, 7 December, at about 8:11 am, in response to reports that a group of people had been sprayed with what is believed to be pepper spray.
According to police, a group of four men targeted a woman, sprayed a substance, and stole her suitcase in a car park lift. The spray rapidly dispersed, affecting people nearby, including people in the lift and others in the lobby/car-park area. Victims experienced coughing, eye irritation, breathing difficulties and other symptoms.
Heathrow Airport assault injures 31 people, including a child, and causes disruption
Medical services treated 21 people after the incident, which included a 3-year-old girl among the victims. Five victims were taken to the hospital, but fortunately, none suffered life-threatening injuries.
One witness, Tom Bate, who had just arrived on a flight from Dallas, told Sky News that he saw three “young men, dressed in black with their heads covered,” running out of the elevator area.
“Suddenly… everyone in the room was coughing, including me, and there was a burning in my throat,” he said. “It was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever experienced.”
The chaos caused significant disruption at Heathrow Airport, as transport links, including shuttles and taxis, and access roads became congested. Terminal shuttle services to the car park, which usually run every 15 minutes, were delayed by up to three hours as police investigated the incident, according to SkyNews.
Suspect arrested, but others are at large
Police quickly arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of assault, within nine minutes of the incident being reported, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the Met Police.
Sky News quoted Bate, who also witnessed the police action, as saying he saw “10-20 armed police officers” run into the car park and “point their guns at someone and order him to the ground and detain him.” Police asked Bates to get out of his vehicle to ID the perpetrator.
Police have not yet identified the individual arrested. At least three other suspects remain at large, and a manhunt is ongoing. Authorities have appealed to the public for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward, as they review CCTV and gather statements.
In the Met Police statement, Commander Peter Stevens said, “Our officers are working to determine the full circumstances around what happened, but we do believe this to be an isolated incident with those directly involved known to each other.”
“We appreciate that this has been a concerning incident, and I commend the actions of the emergency services and members of staff at Heathrow Airport.”
Are flights out of Heathrow affected today?
While airport operations were largely unaffected, the assault and emergency response, including armed police, paramedics, and investigators, caused significant transport disruption. There were shuttle-bus and taxi delays, traffic congestion around Terminal 3, and some temporary suspension of rail services, including the Elizabeth Line at Heathrow, for safety checks.
“Passengers are advised to allow extra time when travelling to the airport and to check with their airline for any queries,” Heathrow Airport advised travellers through its account on X (formerly Twitter).
Rail services have now reportedly reopened, and earlier road and shuttle bus disruptions have cleared.
The airport is running smoothly, with no significant delays expected in arrivals or departures. However, passengers may still see an increased police presence and experience tighter security protocols.
Featured Image: Photo: Cerib / stock.adobe.com
