A WOMAN is fighting for her life after a knife man ran into a London car park and indiscriminately stabbed shoppers.

Four women suffered knife wounds and one was airlifted to hospital in a life-threatening condition.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said a man in his 60s was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder.

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The attack, which police said was not believed to be terror-related, took place at around 10.35am on Friday near a branch of supermarket Sainsbury's in Hampton, west London.

A member of staff at the nearby Hampton pub said the attacker "appeared to be out of it" and was only targeting women.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said: "He only went for the women. The man ran through and started attacking them.

"It didn't seem like they knew him. It was completely unprovoked.

"One lady is in very bad condition. She had to be air-ambulanced out.

"He was caught very quickly just outside the car park.

"He appeared to be out of it, on drugs or crazy. He must have been very angry to go out and unprovokedly stab those women.

"The woman who was badly stabbed in the back made it up to the police station and raised the alarm.

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"She is well-known locally and always goes shopping there all the time."

The witness added: "If it had been 10 or 20 minutes earlier there would have been children there because it's right outside a primary school."

The Met said officers were called at around 10.35am to The Avenue in Hampton.

A spokesman said: "Officers attended and discovered three women suffering from knife wounds.

"The London Ambulance Service also attended and are providing treatment to the women.

"Their conditions are not thought to be life-threatening or changing at this time.

"A fourth woman who had also suffered knife wounds was subsequently located at a nearby property.

"She has been taken to hospital where her condition at this stage is thought to be life-threatening."

The spokesman added: "At this early stage, the incident is not believed to be terror-related."

A member of staff at Tangley Park Children's Centre, which backs onto the scene of the attack, said: "We kept all the children safe and kept them in the building until we knew it was safe.

"It's just such a shock - our parents and children could have been walking to their cars at that time.

"Our sympathies go out to everyone who was hurt and we are really glad none of our families were involved."

A resident of Partridge Road said: "I'm appalled and absolutely horrified. It's just so scary, this is a quiet area and it's not at all what you think is going to happen in Hampton.

"It's just horrible, that poor, poor woman."

A police cordon remained in place around the car park where the women were stabbed.

Several police officers were standing guard at the scene.

Blood stained clothes could be seen on the ground and a forensic officer was examining the area. One of the victims went to a police office, less than 100 yards from the car park, where she was treated.

A blood stained jacket and first aid kit were still lying on the ground surrounded by police tape outside the Hampton and Hampton North Wards police office. The car park of the Sainsbury's store backs on to a pub, youth centre, children's hospice and school.

Ben Brady, 30, who owns Jen's Salon next door to where one of the victims was treated, said the first victim was stabbed by the pub before the attacker moved on to another area of the car park.

"She had no idea what was going on," he added.

Mr Brady said the man was "waving a knife" and then approached women as they were getting out of their cars.

"I went over to see if I could help the ladies and that's when the police came."

An eyewitness described the scene as "horrific" and said she saw the victims lying on the floor bleeding.

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She told ITV London: "I could see bodies lying on the ground. There was an elderly lady just lying down beside the police station. I tried to help, she had the police there and paramedics.

"I could see this poor lady with blood coming out of all different parts of her body."

She said one of the victims was her neighbour, Janice, and added: "She was stabbed three times in the chest, back and arm."