Man arrested on suspicion of contaminating food in London supermarkets

Shoppers are being urged to dispose of any food items bought from three London, UK, supermarkets after a man was held by police on suspicion of contaminating food through needles.

Police were called to Fulham in Southwest London, at 19:40 on Wednesday 25 August to reports of a man shouting abuse in the streets. However, things took a darker turn after the man was alleged to have visited Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose on Fulham Palace Road, where he reportedly injected foodstuffs with needles.

It’s not currently known what the substance inside the syringe was, and so as a cautionary measure, Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s Environmental Health team is advising consumers to dispose of any food purchased from these three premises. It’s thought that the affected products include processed meat and microwaveable products, although this is yet to be confirmed.

The three supermarkets are now closed and an investigation is underway, as officials attempt to ascertain what foodstuffs were affected and with what substance they were contaminated. Local authorities are also working to find out if any other businesses in the area were affected.

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed in a statement that the man has been arrested “on suspicion of contamination of goods with intention of causing public harm or anxiety”.

If you have any information regarding this incident then please contact the police on 101, or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 6341/25 Aug.