MANCHESTER • British police confirmed yesterday that they were treating a stabbing attack which injured three people at Manchester's Victoria train station as a terrorist investigation, and were searching an address in the Cheetham Hill area of the city.

"We are treating this as a terrorist investigation," Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters.

Monday's incident, classified as critical, is being investigated by the counter-terrorism police.

Officials said that a man and a woman, both in their 50s, and a police officer were treated for knife injuries following the stabbings.

Witness Sam Clack, 38, a BBC radio producer, yesterday said he heard the suspect shouting "Allah" before and during the attack. He quoted the suspect as saying: "As long as you keep bombing other countries, this sort of s*** is going to keep happening."

The male suspect has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, said the police.

The woman suffered injuries to her face and abdomen, and the man was wounded in the abdomen, while a British Transport Police officer sustained a stab wound to the shoulder. Their injuries were described as serious but not life threatening. The two members of the public were taken to hospital.

The incident happened at around 8.50pm, when many revellers would have been out enjoying New Year's Eve celebrations across the city.

Mr Clack said: "I just heard this most blood-curdling scream and looked down the platform.

"He came towards me. I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good 12-inch (30cm) blade. It was just fear, pure fear."

Mr Clack said police officers used a stun gun and pepper spray on the suspect who had been resisting arrest, before "six or seven" officers jumped on the man.

An attack in May 2017 killed 22 people and wounded 139 at a concert in Manchester by US singer Ariana Grande.