The 32-year-old man accused of stabbing several passengers on a train in eastern England was not known to counter-terrorism police or security services, British Transport Minister Heidi Alexander said on Monday, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
The attack on Saturday night, which police said was not being treated as a terrorist attack, injured 11 people, including a member of the train staff who remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition, Alexander said.
Five of the injured were discharged from hospital yesterday evening.
Alexander told Radio "The Times" today that the suspect in the attack was not on the counter-terrorism authorities' register.
"I can tell you he was not known to the counter-terrorism police, he was not known to the security services", Alexander said, adding that he could not comment on whether the man was known to the authorities because of possible psychiatric problems.
British Transport Police said officers responded within eight minutes of the first call about the attack. A knife was found at the scene and CCTV footage reviewed by investigators showed a member of the train staff intervened to stop the attacker.
"He literally put himself in danger," Alexander said. "There are people who are alive today because of his actions," the minister added, referring to the employee who saved the lives of others.
The suspect was arrested after the train made an emergency stop in Huntingdon, about 120 km. north of London. Authorities said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack.