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Terrified diners dived for cover when a man went “berserk” with a meat cleaver snatched from the kitchen at Nando’s in Islington.

The man grabbed the 10in blade from a chef’s worktop after a row erupted among a group of five people in the Upper Street chicken restaurant at 4pm last night.

He ran around brandishing the weapon, screaming and trying to slash at one of the men before hurling it at the front window, witnesses said.

More than a dozen diners, including two children, cowered in terror as the manager dialled 999. Armed police flooded the restaurant after a PCSO on foot patrol raised the alarm.

A diner, who asked not to be named, said: “There were four guys at a table and a man came in with his girlfriend and sat next to them.

“The man punched one of them in the face and they started exchanging blows.

“The fight escalated and they all went outside before the guy came back in and grabbed a meat cleaver.

“The guys outside jumped into a car. The man with the knife threw it and smashed the window, then ran away.

“People were hiding under the tables. There were about 14 people in there including two children. No-one was hurt, but the kids were shaken.”

Another said: “There were three or four of them fighting each other at the table.

“One of them ran to the kitchen and grabbed a big knife. He was running after one guy trying to cut him. He was really angry, just crazy.”

Will Glendinning, 41, a producer who was walking past, said: “I heard a noise and turned around and saw the guy screaming and shouting on the phone jumping up and down like a mad man.

“Then I noticed he had a great big knife with him. A woman was trying to calm him down.

“A police woman got out a car and grabbed his arm which I thought was brave. There was a bit of a struggle but he was in the back of the police van within a minute. The police response was impressive.”

Marian Kennedy wrote on Twitter: “An insane incident on Upper Street Islington. A guy running around with a meat cleaver. Flooded with police.”

Police officers arrested a 20-year-old man from Islington on suspicion of affray, possession of a knife and criminal damage.

An Islington Police spokesman said: “The manager of Nando’s called police saying that a man had grabbed a meat cleaver from their kitchen and was waving it towards another male in the restaurant.

“Two PCSOs on patrol were passing by and saw the male, they alerted PCs and directed them to him.

“The males involved all knew each other and it was part of a personal dispute.”