Samurai: Policeman attacked at Capital flat

Officers were called to an address in Wardlaw Place, Gorgie, in the early hours of the morning after neighbours complained about a man causing a disturbance.

The occupants of a third-floor flat appeared to be very agitated, with shouting and banging noises coming from inside, a spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Police said.

When police arrived at the scene, a man came bursting out of the flat wielding a samurai sword at the officers, the spokeswoman added. He then lunged at

one of the officers on the stairwell landing, slicing his hand with the weapon as the officer tried to protect his face.

The injured officer was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and was expected to be transferred to St John’s Hospital in Livingston for surgery later today.

A man has been arrested in connection with the attack, which took place at about 5.30am.

A Lothian and Borders spokesman said today: "Police were called to an address in Wardlaw Place after neighbours complained that a man had been making a lot of noise and causing a disturbance for many nights in a row.

"The man suddenly came running out with the sword and struck one of our officers. It is understood he has suffered a serious hand injury."

Chunks of the stairwell wall were missing around the door to the flat today.

John Green, 39, who lives in the flat below, said: "I woke up just after 5am and I thought I heard a woman screaming. I was just about to go and see what was happening, when I heard the police downstairs.

"They ran up the stairs and I heard a big scuffle - it seemed like there was an awful lot of police there. The fight seemed to go on for quite a while and the police were still around a few hours later."

Assistant secretary for the Lothian and Borders branch of the Scottish Police Federation, Jackie Muller, described the attack as "particularly nasty".

She added: "This attack just highlights the danger police officers face on the streets day in and day out."

The incident in Gorgie was the second involving a samurai sword in the Capital in a matter of days. Police were called to Craigmillar last week after reports of a man carrying one of the weapons in the street.

The dangers posed by samurai swords were graphically illustrated in January 2000 when Liberal Democrat MP Nigel Jones suffered horrific injuries in an attack in his constituency office in Cheltenham.

Robert Ashman lunged at Mr Jones leaving him with horrific injuries. The MP’s assistant, Andrew Pennington, 39, died after being stabbed six times by the attacker. Ashman, 52, was found guilty of murder and attempted murder in 2001 and was ordered to be detained indefinitely in a psychiatric hospital.

A heavily bleeding man staggered into a city police station today after being repeatedly stabbed in the stomach.

The 33-year-old was rushed to the ERI in a "serious" condition after walking into St Leonard’s police station at about 6.30am.

A 40-year-old man has been charged in connection with a knife attack following the incident.