A woman found 'beheaded' in a north London back garden after witnesses said a man went "on the loose with a machete" has been named as 82-year-old Palmira Silva.

The victim, a great-grandmother who is believed to be of Italian descent, was found outside a house in Edmonton after police were called to reports of a stabbing in Nightingale Road, just after 1pm today.

Police said a man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Horrified neighbours were evacuated from their homes after the alleged attacker began sprinting through back gardens in the road and tried to decapitate several cats.

Witnesses reported seeing a man with a "crazed look" in his eyes running around the area brandishing a machete as police gave chase.

One tweeted: "Madman on the loose with a machete in Edmonton".

Officers smashed windows of neighbouring houses as they evacuated people from their homes.

In a statement this afternoon, the Met said one of its firearms officers had been injured during the arrest, sustaining a broken wrist.

It added that a Taser was discharged by officers as they attempted to arrest their suspect.

There is no suggestion the killing had a terrorist motive, Scotland Yard said.

Freda Odame, 30, a supermarket worker who lives a few doors from the house where the woman was found beheaded, said she looked out of her window and saw the man wielding a machete with a "crazed look" in his eyes.

She said: "He was waving a huge machete around like a madman. He was shouting stuff. It didn't make sense, it was like he was speaking in tongues.

"His eyes had a fury in them, lots of anger and hate. He was shouting and screaming, thrashing around.

"It was terrifying. I shut the curtains and sat there in fear. Then police banged on my doors shouting for people to come out."

Edmonton 'beheading' 8 show all Edmonton 'beheading' 1/8 Crime scene Crowds gather in Edmonton after the incident (Daniella Halil/REX) 2/8 Police probe One man was arrested in connection with the incident, police said (John Stillwell/PA) 3/8 Forensic officers An aerial view shows forensic officers entering the garden in Edmonton 4/8 Police investigate Detectives on the scene in Edmonton (Picture: Anne-Marie Sanderson/Rex Features) 5/8 Edmonton 'beheading' Forensic officers at the scene (Picture: John Stillwell/PA Wire) 6/8 Crime scene Crowds at the scene in Edmonton 7/8 Crime scene Attack: police at the scene in Edmonton (Picture: Twitter/@Redbutdred) 8/8 Aerial view The scene in Edmonton 1/8 Crime scene Crowds gather in Edmonton after the incident (Daniella Halil/REX) 2/8 Police probe One man was arrested in connection with the incident, police said (John Stillwell/PA) 3/8 Forensic officers An aerial view shows forensic officers entering the garden in Edmonton 4/8 Police investigate Detectives on the scene in Edmonton (Picture: Anne-Marie Sanderson/Rex Features) 5/8 Edmonton 'beheading' Forensic officers at the scene (Picture: John Stillwell/PA Wire) 6/8 Crime scene Crowds at the scene in Edmonton 7/8 Crime scene Attack: police at the scene in Edmonton (Picture: Twitter/@Redbutdred) 8/8 Aerial view The scene in Edmonton

Another man, who did not want to be named, said he saw the man covered in blood in his neighbour's garden. He said:"There was a lot of blood on the weapon and he was just hacking away at stuff. It's just unbelievable. I'm so shocked."

Another witness said: "Police were smashing doors and windows of the houses either side. I saw a child being taken by a policeman out of a window."

Muhammed Yusuf said police knocked on his door and told him to leave his house.

He said: "They just said 'You've got to get out of the house'. Of course I was worried."

His son Ahmed, 19, said: "At first there were two police cars, then all of a sudden there were 20.

"The police said to drop everything. I said 'What's going on?' and they said there's a guy jumping over gardens."

May Yapp, a retired clerical officer, said: "My husband was working in the garden and he called and said come and have a look.

"We saw a lot of policeman and a helicopter. They smashed a window. We were shocked."

In a press conference this evening, Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Letchford told reporters he was "not willing to speculate" on reports that a machete was used.

He said police officers distracted the man to stop him attacking anyone else while they evacuated houses.

He added that officers had smashed house windows to get people out after the man had been "cornered" in a house.

He said: "As you can see there is still a lot of police activity in the street and that will continue for a number of hours. We are still trying to understand the motive for the attack. We do not believe this to be terrorist related."

Commenting on suggestions the victim knew her attacker, he said: "There is nothing to suggest she may or may not have known the suspect."

Woman found beheaded in back garden in Edmonton, North London. No suggestion of terrorist motive. pic.twitter.com/P7qTy5mK6T — London Live (@LondonLive) September 4, 2014

But he confirmed eyewitness accounts that a man was seen decapitating a cat before the killing.

He said: "That is the earlier call that [police] responded to]."

He added the Independent Police Complaints Commission had been informed about the incident as a matter of course.

The arrested man is currently in hospital being treated for injuries suffered when he was arrested, he said.

In an earlier statement, Detective Chief Inspector John Sandlin, who is leading the investigation, said officers were not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack.

He said: "This is was a highly visible attack in broad daylight on a residential street.

"I can understand why this may cause people concern, however we are confident that we are not looking for anyone else at this stage."



He continued: "Whilst it is too early to speculate on what the motive behind this attack was I am confident, based on the information currently available to me, that it is not terrorist related.



"Local officers and specialist detectives are at the scene and will remain there for many hours to come.

"Specially trained family liaison officers will be deployed to support the family; we request that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."

Edmonton MP Andy Love told the Standard said he was "shocked" by the killing.

He said: “I am absolutely horrified and stunned by what has happened in my constituency.

“This is a relatively solid community with relatively good relations between all of the people living there. It comes as a shock that it has happened.

“I reassure the community not only immediately surrounding Edmonton but the wider area of north London that this has happened with no suggestion of a terrorist motive.”

He added: “Our hearts go out to the family of the woman affected. They are traumatic events, very sad events – and we look to support the family surrounding the difficult circumstances.”

A spokeswoman from the London Ambulance Service confirmed the victim was found dead at the scene.

She said: "We were called at 1.30pm to an incident in Nightingale Road, Edmonton.

"We sent a number of resources to the scene including London's Air Ambulance, an ambulance crew and a duty officer.

"Sadly a woman was pronounced dead at the scene by the doctor from London's Air Ambulance."

Detectives in Enfield are investigating. Enquiries are ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.