Security guard disarms knifeman after girl, 11, and woman, 34, stabbed in Leicester Square

A security guard disarmed a knifeman after an 11-year-old girl and a 34-year-old woman were stabbed in London's Leicester Square.

Abdullah, 29, said he "heard a scream", then "jumped on" the man who was attacking the child before holding him down and taking the knife off him.

"I just saw a kid getting stabbed and I just tried to save her. It's my duty to just save them," he said.

Abdullah said he and his colleagues gave first aid to the child before police arrived.

The victims were treated at the scene before being taken to a hospital's major trauma centre following the attack this morning.

The Metropolitan Police said the girl will require hospital treatment but her injuries aren't life threatening, while the woman suffered minor injuries.

There is no suggestion the incident is terror-related and the force said a man has been arrested and is in custody, adding: "We don't believe there are any outstanding suspects."

Abdullah, who has worked at the TWG Tea shop for up to eight months, said he "heard a scream" and saw there was a person in his early to mid-30s "stabbing a kid".

"I jumped on him, held the hand in which he was (carrying) a knife, and just put him down on the floor and just held him and took the knife away from him," he said.

"Then a couple of more people joined as well, and we just held him until the police came, it took maybe three to four minutes for the police to arrive and then they just took him into custody."

Police officers remain at the scene in central London, which is a popular destination for tourists.

A napkin covered in blood could be seen on the pavement along with objects including lighters and a baseball cap.

The square and the surrounding area have an estimated 2.5m visitors every week and are home to shops, theatres, cinemas and restaurants.

A police cordon has been put in place surrounding the double doors of the TWG Tea shop, which is beside the LEGO store and in front of the M&Ms store.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said they were called at 11.36am to reports of a stabbing at Leicester Square.

"We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic and an incident response officer. We also dispatched members of our tactical response unit," they said.

"We treated a child and an adult at the scene and took them to a major trauma centre."

SkyNews