A man slashed in the throat by a terrorist in Leytonstone Underground has spoken of how he had to be 'dragged off' the attacker even as he bled from the neck - while other members of the public just 'stood around' filming on their mobile phones.

David Pethers, 33, a father-of-one from east London, was left bleeding after the 29-year-old cut him in the neck with a Stanley knife during the confrontation.

'I was dragged away, I was bleeding from the neck. I know it sounds crazy, but I went back to have another go,' he told MailOnline.

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Injured: David Pethers, a 33-year-old lift engineer, was cut in the neck during the grapple with the knifeman

This is the man Mr Pethers found lying on the floor in a pool of blood moments before his confrontation with the knifeman at Leytonstone tube station

The man was filmed by a shocked bystander as he waved his knife (circled), before being Tasered by police

Mr Pethers found himself at the centre of the standoff after walking down the station steps to see the knifeman's first victim, a 56-year-old musician, lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

He said: 'It's just a cut on my neck, it wasn't too deep or too serious really.

'I was walking down into the station, as I got to the ticket office there was a pool of blood on the floor and a guy with a knife going mad.

'He was saying something about Syria. To be honest he just looked crazy, he just had a crazy look in his eye.

'Basically the scene I walked into was the guy lying on the floor, blood everywhere, and [there was] this guy shouting and that's when I tried to get everyone out of the station.'

It was then that the hero's instincts kicked in and he and another man tried to stop the knifeman attacking the children and women cowering nearby.

Mr Pethers said: 'There was a guy with a rucksack saying: "Calm down, lets talk about this" and I saw this guy was going to go for him.

'Basically we kind of contained him in the main ticket area. He kind of went for me and I went for him and he cut my neck.

'Then the police turned up. They fired four tasers and then they contained the situation from there.'

Mr Pethers said that contrary to earlier reports, the man was not armed with a machete, but had a Stanley knife style box cutter.

'It was like a box cutter but a really cheap one with an extendable three or four inch blade.'

The knife-wielding attacker collapsed to the ground when Met Police officers successfully shot him with a Taser

While on the ground, he appears to be given a second round of electricity, after which he dropped his knife

However, Mr Pethers was left furious with other bystanders. He told MailOnline many men simply stood by filming the incident rather than helping stop the man.

Meanwhile, dramatic footage has shown moment the attacker was Tasered by police after seriously injuring a 56-year-old man - who Mr Pethers saw when he entered the station.

In the wake of the incident, British Transport Police confirmed extra officers would be deployed to rail and tube stations.

In the footage, a bystander can be heard shouting 'you ain't no Muslim bruv' at the attacker - a defiant rallying cry which has now begun trending on social media.

Police were today searching an east London property in connection with the incident, while the suspect remained in custody and was being questioned by police.

Police officers arrived at the scene soon after it was reported there had been a stabbing - there they were confronted by a man armed with a knife said to be several inches long.

In their first attempt to Taser him, the officers fail. But when they try a second time, he collapses to the ground, incapacitated.

Still clutching the knife, he then appears to be given another round of electricity and the weapon falls from his hand. He is then turned over, handcuffed and arrested.

It's then a defiant onlooker shouted back to him: 'You ain't no Muslim bruv.' Another called out: 'Drop it, you fool.'

Others can be heard expressing shock. One says: ''F*** he's been tasered! About six times!'

Scotland Yard has now confirmed anti-terror police are investigating after eyewitnesses claimed they could hear the man shout 'this is for Syria' and 'all of your blood will be spilled' during the frightening ordeal.

This morning Britons took to Twitter to show their contempt for the suspected terror attacker - sending the hashtag £YouAintNoMuslimBruv trending.

The phrase has been widely picked up by social media users who say it is the perfect British riposte to attempts to spread violence and terror in London - disowning and sidelining the attacker.

The hashtag is now trending on Twitter.

An elderly gentleman (right) walked by the confrontation as a police officer was about to fire his taser (circled)

Terrified onlookers stood back during the incident which took place in the ticket hall of the tube station

The standoff occurred around 7pm last night and left one man, aged 56, with serious wounds, while one other suffered minor injuries.

Terrified children ran for safety with their parents as the primary victim was left on the floor of the ticket hall lying in a large pool of blood.

After reportedly slashing his victim's throat, the man allegedly threatened several other passengers before being confronted by the unarmed police officers.

Despite officers ordering the man to drop his weapon, he continued to wave the large knife. One video shows the man lunge towards the police, with witnesses shouting 'he's stabbed someone'.

An officer prepared to fire a high-voltage Taser gun at the knifeman, who ducked to try to avoid being hit. Over the shouts of the crowd, an officer was heard warning: ‘I’m going to Taser you right now.’ One man filming the incident urged: ‘Taser him, Taser him.'

Today a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the man remained in police custody, though no charges had yet been laid.

Senior government minister Iain Duncan Smith said whatever the circumstances, Britons must not let the Leytonstone incident affect their behaviour.

'We cannot let these sort of people, terrorists et cetera, actually dominate our space,' he told the BBC. 'The way we defeat them at the end of the day is with our values, our freedom of expression, our freedom of belief ... our ability to take our children, our families out at Christmas.

'None of that must be curtailed.'

John Cryer, MP for Leyton and Wanstead, said: 'It is really shocking. It's an appalling thing to happen - it is to any community but Leytonstone is a very mixed community and people live together here very peacefully. It is quite a happy place to be.'

Eyewitnesses claimed the police needed to fire several blasts of the Taser to knock the man down

The man was then handcuffed by officers - moments after he had been Tasered in the ticket hall

According to an eyewitness, the victim, seen carrying a guitar, was stabbed after being punched unconscious and repeatedly kicked in the frenzied attack.

Salim Patel, 59, was working in a newsagents in the station when he saw the attack unfold.

The father-of-six believed the attacker was Somalian or Sudanese and shouting with an 'Arabic accent' to all passers-by.

He said: 'I was inside the shop and I heard screaming and shouting. He was hitting and punching the victim so hard he fell on the floor and then he kicked him for a long time.

'Everyone was shouting and screaming and he was punching the victim so hard he was screaming somebody help me. Then he got punched so hard he passed out.

'He then took his knife out and was using it on the victim's body. His knife was going forward and backwards. But I don't know in what part of the body he hit.

'It was very scary, passengers ran away. After a while he came back and a few minutes later a passenger rushed to help the victim but when he came back they ran away.

'I think the victim was a musician or a busker. He was carrying a guitar.'

Salim called the police when he saw the blade and hid behind the counter so he could give instructions.

He added: 'The attacker was Somalian or Sudanese and talking in an Arabian accent. He was a strong man. He was punching like a boxer. He was a very powerful strong man. He was angry for some reason.'

The stabbing was the first jihadi attack in London since the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in May 2013.

Today a British Transport Police spokesperson said passengers' safety remained a top priority.

'Following the incident last night, we are now deploying still more officers in this role.

'They involve both uniformed and plain-clothed officers, supported by other resources, such as armed officers, police dogs, a network of CCTV cameras, and the thousands of rail staff we work alongside.

'We ask the public to remain calm and carry on using public transport as normal.'

'WE STRONGLY CONDEMN ANY SORT OF VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM': LOCAL MUSLIM LEADERS CONDEMN ATTACK A Muslim leader condemned the Leytonstone tube attack and categorically denied the attacker was part of his congregation. The speech came after the attacker, whose religion is not yet known, ranted 'this is for Syria' as he punched, kicked and stabbed a 56-year-old man. One person was caught on footage of the incident shouting 'you ain't no Muslim, bruv'. Imam Imran Patel read a statement from outside the Leytonstone Mosque at 1.10pm today. He said: 'We are extremely saddened by the event that occurred at Leytonstone underground station yesterday evening. 'This was an individual who we do not know and he is not a member of the congregation of Leytonstone and his motives he can only answer for himself. 'We strongly condemn any sort of violence and terrorism and any violent acts. Islam does not allow and does not have any place for any violence and terrorism. 'Leytonstone is a well-integrated multicultural community we live in peace and harmony.What happened last night at Leytonstone Underground station is totally unacceptable and we totally and strongly condemn this. 'The masjid is a place for a local community come to offer prayers and give lectures on aspects to do with our religion just like any other religious institute. 'There is no platform or dialogue in the masjid that can lead a person to commit such a crime.Our thoughts and prayers go to the victims of last night's incident. We pray for peace safety and security for this country and for all of the world.' Advertisement

Commuters make their way into Leytonstone station this morning after last night's knife attack

Police officers were stationed at the Underground station today in the wake of what Scotland Yard said was a terrorist attack

Officers chat to one another at the station which was the scene of a dramatic standoff last night

Head of Scotland Yard's Counter Terrorism unit, Commander Richard Walton said; 'We are treating this as a terrorist incident. I would urge the public to remain calm, but alert and vigilant.

'I would like to thank everyone who has so far provided information to officers and to the Anti-Terrorist Hotline following this unprovoked violent knife attack last evening at Leytonstone Underground Station.

'As a result of information received at the time from people who were at the scene and subsequent investigations carried out by the Counter Terrorism Command (SO15), I am treating this as a terrorist incident.

'I am aware that there were a number of members of the public in the underground station who filmed the suspect on their mobile phones during and after the attack and I would urge them to come forward and speak to us and share with us the filming that they carried out.

'I would continue to urge the public to remain calm, but alert and vigilant. The threat from terrorism remains at severe, which means that a terrorist attack is highly likely.'

Officers also requested that anyone who filmed the incident on their phones upload their footage to www.ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk.

A Number 10 spokesperson said: 'There is an ongoing police investigation into tonight's attack in London. We are monitoring the situation closely as further details emerge.'

Eyewitness Laurynas Godvisa said: ‘I was going to Leytonstone station dressed to go to Christmas dinner with people from work.

'As I walked down I just saw a lot of people running but I ignored it and kept walking to get my train, but suddenly I couldn’t believe my eyes – I saw I guy with a knife and a guy on the floor.

‘I was so scared I ran for my life. After a good ten to 15 minutes police came and got the guy and arrested him. And as he was coming out, he said, “This is what happens when you f*** with mother Syria. All of your blood will be spilled”.’

Passengers tried to avoid the escalating confrontation which lasted for more than ten minutes

Astonishingly, bystanders filmed clips on mobile phones and immediately uploaded them to Twitter to show the aftermath of the rampage and the knifeman's tense stand-off with police.

One short film showed a man dressed in dark clothing lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Families with children dashed across the ticket hall within yards of the knife-wielding man, as concerned bystanders shouted at them to get away.

Incredibly, others including an elderly man holding a carrier bag walked past the attacker to continue their journey, seemingly oblivious to the danger and the pool of blood where one victim was slashed.

Following the attack, Transport for London ceased all services between Liverpool Street and Woodford/Newbury Park while the scene was examined.

There were conflicting reports over where the man had been injured. Some witnesses claimed the victim had been slashed in the throat, while one video showed a man with an apparent arm injury.

A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: 'We were called at 7:09pm to reports of an assault at Leytonstone underground station.

'We sent a number of resources including our joint response unit, an incident response officer, an ambulance crew and London's Air Ambulance to the scene.

'We treated a man for stab wounds. He was taken as a priority to hospital escorted by the doctor from London's Air Ambulance.'

Forensic officers began a detailed search of the station last night in the aftermath of the terrorist attack

The attack happened at Leytonstone Underground station (illustrated) in East London shortly after 7pm

'BIG TOBZ': EAST LONDON RAPPER FINDS OVERNIGHT SUCCESS A rapper who witnessed the stabbing at Leytonstone Underground station has used the sudden influx of attention received to promote his single. Known as Big Tobz, the Londoner posted two videos of the incident on Twitter, before adding 'part 3' - a link to his track on YouTube named 'Uno My Style'. When journalists starting contacting him to ask if he was OK, he responded: 'Hey man year it was so horrible I managed to put the whole thing on YouTube here'. This was accompanied by a link to the single. While some accused him of cashing in on the horrific incident, he responded by stating he had been promoting everyday for the past five years. Advertisement

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'The stabbing in Leytonstone is absolutely shocking. My thoughts are with the victim and his family.'

A Twitter user told of the bloodshed and horror that unfolded at the station.

Michael Garcia told ITV News: 'I look over and i see a guy huddled on the floor behind the barriers and the guy brandishing the knife.

'It was a small blade maybe about three inches long. And then he's screaming "go on then, run, run" and there's people like wanting to go forward to try and help the guy, but the guy's standing just right next to him, just brandishing the knife.'

An eyewitness called Khayam told BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘The majority of people were running away from the station. I walked closer to the tunnel to listen in – there were a lot of people screaming. Within about five to ten minutes they brought out the person who was trying to stab people. They put him in a police van.

‘When he came out I didn’t hear him say anything but I saw pedestrians shouting at him. They weren’t happy with what he had done. One pedestrian threw a bottle at him.

‘I saw a victim come out on a stretcher and then police closed off the station.’

Another man called Farhan, 31, said that his uncle, who works for London Underground, said that the attacker picked on a white passenger inside the station and tried to cut his throat while screaming: ‘This is for Syria.’

Farhan added that when the attacker cut the man’s neck, a station manager shouted: ‘You are not even Muslim, why are you doing this?’

Police last night secure the scene of the attack at Leytonstone Underground station (pictured)

Services on the Central Line were suspended for the evening as police continued to examine the crime scene

The air ambulance attended the scene. Two officers from British Transport Police were guarding the entrance to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel last night.

Stationed outside the entrance, one officer confirmed that a victim from the Leytonstone attacks was being treated there, but could not comment on their condition, nor whether family members had arrived.

‘What we have is only a snapshot of what happened, but officers from British Transport Police and the Met are here. I can’t say any more.’

The stabbing comes at time of great tension in Europe following the Paris terror attacks last month.

The coordinated attack on the French capital, in which 130 were killed, as well as the launch of British airstrikes on ISIS locations in Syria, sparked fears that terror groups could launch lone wolf attacks on Europe.