Car ploughs into people in central London on Christmas morning

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after driving his car into a crowd of party-goers after a ‘row at a nightclub’.

Police were called just before 1am today after the crash and the driver was seen driving on the wrong side of the road on Shaftesbury Avenue.

Four pedestrians have been taken to hospital with one remaining in a life-threatening condition, police said.

The driver, a 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

A police cordon is still in place this morning, with blood and items of clothing including a jacket, shoes and a hat strewn across the pavement in front of a Caffe Concerto.

The cordon stretches between the Gielgud Theatre, where the musical Oliver is performed, and Sondheim Theatre, home to Les Miserables.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said ‘Officers responded quickly to this report, working closely with City of London Police to arrest a man within minutes.

‘Detectives are quickly progressing enquiries as part of this investigation. It’s believed that the suspect was involved in an altercation at a nightclub prior to getting in his car and mounting the pavement.

‘Several scenes remain in place at the location today.

‘This has been confirmed as an isolated incident which is not terrorism related.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.