Police officers were forced to shoot down a knife wielding man who terrified shoppers with shouts of 'Allah Akbar.'

The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon in Spijkenisse, a commuter-town close to the city of Rotterdam in the west of the Netherlands.

The police spotted a local man, 35, close to the central metro station of Spijkenisse who made wild movements with a butcher's knife.

The scene in Spijkenisse, a commuter-town close to the city of Rotterdam, where the shooting happened on Tuesday afternoon

Police closed off the crime scene after shooting the knife-wielding man. He was now in hospital and was still responsive after being shot

Shoppers and commuters were especially worried by shouts of 'Allah Akbar'.

A police officer was forced to shoot down the man when he came storming towards them with the knife.

According to a police spokesman, the knife wielding man was still responsive after he was shot in his leg, and was taken to a hospital.

No other people were injured in the incident.

It is not yet known why the man, a 35-year-old citizen of Spijkenisse, wielded a knife or shouted 'Allah Akbar'.

According to the police, the man looked confused.

The police said a criminal investigation had begun.

Police said the man looked confused before they shot him in the leg near the metro station

No other people were injured in the incident but police have begun a criminal probe

Multiple eye-witnesses heard the shouts of 'Allah Akbar', although some who watched the scenes unfold were not impressed.

One eye-witness said: 'About every person on the planet is shouting 'Allah Akbar' nowadays.'