Masked man 'stabs ex-girlfriend to death'

A man wearing a Phantom of the Opera mask and a wig allegedly ran into a college and stabbed to death his ex-girlfriend before slitting his throat.

The 23-year-old woman was working as a receptionist at St George's International College in Plaistow, east London. A second woman, believed to be her colleague, was stabbed in the shoulder. A 29-year-old man was under police guard in hospital last night after being arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

Ken Bristow, a taxi driver, said he saw someone run from the college, screaming: "He's killing her." The knifeman then "slit his own throat" as he grappled with police officers. "I was told she must have been stabbed dozens of times," said Mr Bristow. "There was blood everywhere."

Detective Chief Inspector Bob Mahoney praised the bravery of police officers who disarmed the man, and added: "The suspect was seen immediately before the incident wearing a black curly wig and a Phantom of the Opera-style face mask."