Police appeal following attempted murder at London's Cumberland hotel
Police are appealing for information following a life-threatening attack with a hammer on three women at the four-star, 1,019-bedroom Cumberland hotel, in London.
Officers, who are treating the attack as an attempted murder, were called to the hotel at 1.50 am yesterday morning.
The victims, all UAE nationals in their 30s, are currently in a central London hospital, suffering from head and facial injuries. One is in a critical, but stable condition, while the other two are said to have sustained serious, but not life-threatening injuries.
It is believed that the male attacker, who was acting alone, entered a guest bedroom on the seventh floor, where three women and three children were sleeping in adjoining rooms.
Detectives believe that the suspect was disturbed when some of the occupants of the room woke up. The three women were subsequently assaulted with a hammer which was later recovered at the scene.
Leading the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Chalmers, said: "This was an unusually violent attack on three women and I am very keen to speak with anyone who was in or around the hotel between 1am and 2am on Sunday morning.
"Did you see or hear anything that could be of use to my officers? If so, we would like to hear from you as soon as possible."
The incident room can be contacted on 020 8358 0100.
A spokesperson for GLH Hotels, the operator of the Cumberland hotel, said: "Our thoughts are with the family involved. We are working closely with the police to ensure they have everything they need to conduct a thorough investigation."
Robin Hibbert, head of operations at New West End Company, which represents retail and leisure businesses in London's West End said:
"This is very much an isolated and extraordinary incident for London, one of the safest cities in the world. We have spoken with the hotel who are focussed on providing support to the families involved as well as guests, many of whom are regular customers. We have been in discussion with the police and we support their urgent call for witnesses."
