MP stabbed during constituency surgery: Stephen Timms treated for stomach wounds

A MEMBER of Parliament was receiving hospital treatment today after suffering stabwounds in an attack during a constituency surgery.

• Stephen Timms suffered stomach wounds during an incident in his East Ham constituency today

East Ham Labour MP was meeting constituents in Beckton, London this afternoon when the incident happened.

He was taken to hospital and treated for stomach injuries, which police said were not life-threatening.

A 21-year-old woman was arrested at the scene.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "Police were called at 3.20pm today following reports of a man in his 50s stabbed at Kingsford Way, east London.

"He has been taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

"A 21-year-old woman was arrested at the scene and is currently in custody at an east London police station."

Mr Timms is a former financial secretary to the Treasury and minister for digital Britain.

A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman was unable to confirm reports that Mr Timms was stabbed in the stomach.

"We were called at 3.15pm to the scene," she added.

"We sent an ambulance crew and our staff treated a man, who was taken to hospital."

In 2000 Liberal Democrat MP Nigel Jones was wounded and his aide, Andrew Pennington, was stabbed to death in a frenzied sword attack during a constituency surgery at the party's office in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Mr Jones, a married father of three, was conducting his weekly surgery when he received lacerations to his hands and arms after fending off blows from Robert Ashman, who was jailed for manslaughter and attempted murder.