Gravesend: Teenager arrested after attack on Gurdwara

A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and religiously motivated public disorder after two women were injured at a gurdwara in Gravesend.

Kent Police said they were called to the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Saddington Street, one of the largest Sikh complexes outside India, at 8.10pm (BST) on Thursday.

It was further stated that “a man entered the place and attempted to attack those present armed with a bladed weapon.”

No one was seriously injured, but the two women had to receive medical attention for cuts and bruises.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said he would be “kept informed” of the attack, adding to X that “all communities must be safe in their places of worship.”

The Gurdwara was open on Friday and morning services continued as usual.

Police said they had recovered a bladed weapon from the scene; otherwise officers were not looking for anyone else.

Det Supt Ian Dyball said it was being treated as an “isolated case”.

He said: “Patrols will remain in the area to calm the situation and we thank the public for their continued support and assistance.”

Officers remained outside the building as the investigation continued Friday morning.

A spokesman for the South East Coast Ambulance Service said three people were examined at the scene and taken to hospital.

An ambulance helicopter was also deployed.

Avtar Singh said he helped arrest a person brandishing two swords at the Sikh temple.

He said: “I grabbed his legs and twisted his feet to keep him under control. Then the police handcuffed him – otherwise they wouldn’t have handcuffed him at all.”

The 44-year-old said two girls were attacked, one of whom was bitten in the shoulder and hand.

He continued: “The way he ran, with two swords in his hand, and the way he hit two public figures already – that was really bad.”

In a statement posted on Facebook, the Gurdwara’s management team said the incident occurred in one of its darbar halls and that they were “fully cooperating” with Kent Police.

“The person was spotted by the Gurdwara security team and police were immediately called,” they said.

MP for Gravesham, Dr Lauren Sullivan, said she was “shocked and saddened” by the incident and thanked emergency services for their “swift” response.

“My thoughts are with the injured, their families and the community,” she wrote on X.

Gravesham Borough Council leader John Burden said he was “shocked and concerned by last night’s events and sends our best wishes to the two innocent bystanders who were injured.”

He added that the council had an “incredibly close relationship” with the area’s Sikh community and had offered its help and support.

Bhavan Kaur, a devotee at the temple, told the BBC that she and her family had “just left” before the attack on Thursday evening.

“The police presence makes us feel a little safer, otherwise we would have just felt a little vulnerable today,” she said.

She added: “Everyone is warning each other that this is exactly what happened. We don’t know why it happened, but don’t worry.”

“It’s a sense of community, we all came together today to pray. This is not going to stop us. We just have to keep going and be vigilant and it’s just made us a little more cautious, that’s all.”