A three-year-old girl was among 21 people injured after a suspected pepper spray attack at Heathrow Airport disrupted travel.
Armed police were called to the scene at around 8.11am on Sunday after reports that several people had been sprayed by a group of men in the multi-storey car park at Terminal 3 of the transport hub.
The London Ambulance Service said five people were taken to hospital after 21 patients were injured. Police said their injuries were not life-changing or life-threatening.
Police believe the incident began after a woman’s luggage was stolen from a parking lift by a group of four men who sprayed her with what was believed to be pepper spray. Police added: It is not believed that this incident is related to terrorism or protest.
A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and remains in custody. Officers were still looking for other suspects on Sunday.
The incident caused travel chaos as trains and buses to the airport were halted and access routes to the central area of the airport were temporarily closed.
Passengers were advised to allow extra time, while passengers later reported being stranded at airport bus stops for hours.
The multi-storey parking lot where the accident happened is directly opposite the entrance area of Terminal 3.
A video on social media appears to show a man being handcuffed by one armed officer while another searches him.
Witness Tom Beate said he was waiting to be picked up from the car park when he “saw young men in black moving through the crowd”.
He said he felt a burning sensation in the back of his throat after they left, while other people nearby started coughing.
Mr Beate told the BBC: “I’m so glad to hear now it’s not terrorism because I felt like I was in the middle of an attack – it was so intense.”
By noon, dozens of commuters were waiting at the terminal bus station to get to and from the long-term parking lot and other locations.
One of the families, who did not want to be named, said they waited at the bus station for three hours after the plane landed at around 8am.
Heathrow staff handed out bottled water to waiting passengers on Sunday afternoon. Rail passengers also faced long queues at Heathrow’s Terminal 2/3 station amid overcrowding.
At least 17 trains serving Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 were canceled – or ran non-stop.
Terminal 3 is used by Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and many other major airlines. British Airways has a presence in the terminal as well as its home base, Terminal 5.
Metropolitan Police Chief Constable Peter Stevens said: “Our teams have been rapidly reviewing CCTV from the area today and speaking to witnesses at the scene.
At this stage, it has been determined that a woman’s luggage was stolen by a group of four men and they sprayed her with what is believed to be pepper spray.
It happened in a parking lift, while those in and around the lift were affected by the spray.
Our officers are working to determine the full circumstances of what happened, but we believe this is an isolated incident with the people directly involved being known.
We appreciate that this was a worrying incident and I commend the actions of the emergency services and staff at Heathrow Airport.
Shortly before noon, a spokesman for Heathrow Airport said: “The incident in the multi-storey car park at Terminal 3 has now been contained by the Metropolitan Police.
Congestion continues on surrounding roads following this incident, which we are working hard to clear as soon as possible and we advise travelers to use public transport. The police presence at Heathrow Airport will be increased to keep people safe in the area and to reassure the public.
Simon Calder, travel reporter IndependentHe said: “The closure of access to two of Heathrow’s four terminals shows the great caution of the authorities regarding what is considered to be the main target of terrorism and protest.
“Thousands of passengers are at risk of missing flights because they are not being held for people stuck on roads and rail for an hour or more. Heathrow has little slack in the system and planes must continue to schedule.”
The only exception would probably be cases where the flight crew is delayed in arriving at the airport.
At least one British Airways flight from Heathrow Terminal 3 to Bucharest was delayed by two hours, although BA has not confirmed whether it was responsible for the incident. The late morning Qantas flight from T3 to Perth was about 70 minutes late.
Passengers who miss flights through no fault of their own have no protection under air passenger rights laws. But depending on the circumstances, airlines will likely rebook on the first available alternative flight without penalty.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “We advise customers to allow extra time when traveling to the airport. If customers are delayed as a result of the disruption and are unable to make their flight, our teams can support by rebooking on the next available service after contacting us – via the ticket desk or by calling our customer centre.”
National Highways previously said the M4 Spur road was closed as teams responded to a “serious incident”. In a post on X, it confirmed the road had reopened and said the incident had been “resolved”.
In September 2025, Heathrow Terminal 4 was evacuated after a passenger deflated a CS gas canister. Many flights were severely delayed or canceled.
