Police have arrested an eighth person on suspicion of attempted murder after a 'machete gang fight' broke out inside a KFC restaurant in Bromley, south London.
A 21-year-old man and three boys aged between 14 and 17 were rushed to hospital with stab wounds after the attack on Bromley High Street at around 2.15pm on Thursday, September 10. The man was previously in a critical condition, but his injuries are now believed to be non-life-threatening.
Those four, along with four other boys also aged between 14 and 17, have since been arrested and remain in police custody.
A witness described there being 'a lot of blood' after the injured were attacked with a large knife inside the branch. Another said they saw the use of 'a machete'. A bus driver who was at the scene minutes later said the victims had been attacked with a 'zombie knife'.
Police said there is currently no wider threat to the public. The KFC branch was closed on Thursday as the chain supported staff members following the incident.
Eyewitness accounts
The bus driver, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'It was inside the KFC. People have been interviewed in there since I arrived, I've been stuck here for two hours.'
'Someone from TK Maxx said it was a zombie knife. They said it was really bad, a lot of blood,' the driver added.
A security guard working nearby said the attackers were 'a group of kids with a machete'. 'I came off my break and saw a bunch of police cars come past, they surrounded the area and have cut off everything heading towards Bromley North,' the guard said.
The town square and shopping centre were blocked off with a cordon put in place between Ringers Road and Ethelbert Road.
A manager of the Merkur Slots gambling shop said she witnessed the fight 'spill out' onto the high street. She said she felt 'very worried' and locked herself, along with three customers, inside the building as they waited for the incident to de-escalate.
Vinnie Guadagnino, who lives on the high street, said he saw a huge police response with several cars and at least ten officers on foot. He told the BBC: 'Police cars kept coming, then within the next half hour there were multiple fire engines and people gathering.'
'Then there was a drone overhead and helicopters and an air ambulance, so a massive emergency service response,' he said.
Emergency response
An air ambulance, the London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police were dispatched to the incident. Detectives are treating it as an isolated event.
Bromley is one of the largest boroughs in London and is known for its sprawling green spaces. It is generally considered a middle-class area, and is ranked among the top ten safest boroughs in the capital, with 67 crimes reported per 1,000 people, according to CrimeRate.
Data this year also showed Bromley was the most expensive area in south-east London to buy a property. Figures from Zoopla put the average salary required to buy a home in the borough at £92,000, while the average property price sits at £518,000, according to the Office for National Statistics. As of June 2026, the average value of a detached property in Bromley stood at £1,074,000.
Political and official reaction
Peter Fortune, the borough's Conservative MP, said on X that he was aware of residents' 'safety concerns' following the attack. 'The police are in attendance and have made a number of arrests,' he said. 'I will remain in close contact with the police as they continue to investigate this incident.'
A Met Police spokesman said: 'At around 14:15 on Thursday, September 10, officers were called to reports of an altercation on Bromley High Street.'
'Officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance and found four men with stab wounds. Three of them were taken to hospital where they are receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. One is in critical condition,' the spokesman said, adding that seven men had been arrested and all remained in custody. 'Police enquiries continue and there is not believed to be any wider threat to the public.'
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called at 2.19pm today to reports of a stabbing on Bromley High Street, Bromley. We sent ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and an advanced paramedic.'
'We also dispatched London's Air Ambulance. We treated four patients at the scene and took them all to hospital,' the spokesman said.
A KFC spokesman said: 'We can confirm that a serious incident took place this afternoon in our Bromley High Street restaurant. We are working with the police on their ongoing investigation. Our priority is supporting our team members and customers at this difficult time.'
