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Tesco knife attack: Man who 'shouted white power slogans' arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in Mold supermarket

Witnesses described the knife as 'like something out of Crocodile Dundee'

Thursday 15 January 2015 16:36 GMT

Tesco's profits-warning sent its share price crashing (Getty Images)

A man armed with a machete and a hammer shouted “white power” as he launched a savage attack on an Asian shopper who was buying his lunch in a supermarket in North Wales, according to witnesses.

A 25-year-old man was held on suspicion of attempted murder, following what is believed to have been a racially motivated assault in Tesco in Mold on Wednesday.

The victim, a 24-year-old Sikh man, suffered what police described as “life-changing injuries”, but was saved from being more seriously hurt when other people in the store overpowered the attacker.

Police believe the suspect was operating on his own, but are looking into whether he was part of a wider group. They were given extra time to question the man today.

The horrifying scenes came amid heightened tension following the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris, but it is understood that there is not thought to be any significant link to events in France.

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Pencils, representing the freedom of expression, placed in tribute in Nantes

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France's Jason Lamy Chappuis soars through the air over a message that reads "Je suis Charlie"

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Solidarity in Nice

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Turkish citizens organised a vigil in front of the French consulate in Istanbul

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Graffiti decorates a London wall in solidarity with the victims of the attack in Paris

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In pictures: Reaction to Charlie Hebdo attack

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A tribute of flowers and candles outside the French Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic

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Messages of sympathy near the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris

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Workers install a poster reading 'Je suis Charlie' (I am Charlie) on the Palais des Festivals facade in Cannes

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A woman looks at floral tributes left outside the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices in Paris

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A woman places flowers near the offices of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris

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Journalists of international press agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) hold signs reading "Je suis Charlie" (I am Charlie) at their headquarters in Paris as they observe a minute of silence for the victims of an attack by armed gunmen on the offices of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris which left at least 12 dead and many others injured

In pictures: Reaction to Charlie Hebdo attack

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Pens and pencils are placed in the form of a peace sign over the names of late French cartoonists Cabu, Tignous, Wolinski and late Charlie Hebdo editor Charb on the Place de la Republique (Republic Square) in Paris

In pictures: Reaction to Charlie Hebdo attack

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Australia mourns victims of the Paris massacre at Federation Square in Melbourne

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Indian artist Sudarsan Pattnaik is pictured with his sand sculpture, in tribute of those who lost their lives in the attack by gunmen on French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in Paris that killed 12 people, at Golden Sea Beach in Puri, some 65 kilometers from Bhubaneswar

In pictures: Reaction to Charlie Hebdo attack

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A man holds a placard that reads "I am Charlie" as members of the European Parliament and citizens gather during a minute of silence for victims of the shooting at the Paris offices of weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo, in front of the EU Parliament in Brussels

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A painting of the 'Marianne', the national symbol of the French Republic is placed between candles to commemorate the victims killed in an attack at the Paris offices of the weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo, in front of the French Embassy in Berlin

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Pencils and flowers of condolance are placed at the French embassy at Pariser Platz in Berlin

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Mourners hold signs depicting victim's eyes during a rally in support of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical weekly newspaper that fell victim to an terrorist attack, at Union Square in New York

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People hold up placards reading 'I am Charlie' during a gathering in Nice

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A man lights candles set near the portrait of three of the four cartoonists killed, in Paris

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A man holds the French national flag tied a black ribbon as he and others gather in Lyon to pay their respects

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Parisians gather to pay respect for the victims of a terror attack against 'Charlie Hebdo'

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People gather in front of the 'Club de la presse' in Montpellier, to show their solidarity for the victims of the attack by unknown gunmen on the offices of the satirical weekly, 'Charlie Hebdo'

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A drawing depicting cartoonist Jean Cabut, left, Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, center, and cartoonist Georges Wolinski, is placed outside the French Embassy in Berlin, Germany. The message reads 'Victims of their success, R.I.P.'

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A woman lays a candle during a gathering at the Place de la Republique in Paris

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People take part in a vigil in Trafalgar Square, London, following the deadly terror attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris

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People light candles forming the name Charlie during a gathering in Strasbourg, eastern France

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People stand stand in Marseille, southern France, next to a portrait of French cartoonist Georges Wolinksi, killed during an attack by unknown gunmen on the offices of the satirical weekly, 'Charlie Hebdo'

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People hold placards reading in French 'I am Charlie' during a gathering at the Place de la Republique in Paris

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A man holds a placard reading 'With all our heart with Charlie Hebdo, Freedom of the press: Our freedom' during a gathering in Marseille, southern France

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The French and European union flags fly at half-mast at the French Embassy in Washington, DC

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People gather at the Place Royale in Nantes to show their solidarity for the victims of the attack in Paris

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Flowers, candles and a sign reading 'I am Charlie' are placed against a wall during a demonstration in Paris

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Journalism students hold a banner reading in French: 'Journalism students : Solidarity' as they raise pens during a gathering at the Place de la Republique in Paris

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People gather for a rally in solidarity with the killed Charlie Hebdo employees, in Geneva, Switzerland

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A man holds a placard reading: 'Freedom of the press is priceless, fundamentalism, of any kind, will not pass' as others hold up placards reading in French, 'I am Charlie' during a gathering at the Place de la Republique in Paris

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Journalists raise their press cards as others hold up pens during a gathering at the Place de la Republique, following the terrorist attack on the offices of the satirical weekly, 'Charlie Hebdo'

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People hold candles at a rally in support of the victims of Wednesday's terrorist attack, at the Place de la Republique in Paris

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People gather in front of the city hall of Rennes, western France, following the attack in Paris

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Eyewitnesses said the “huge knife” used by the attacker looked like “something out of [the film] Crocodile Dundee”. Colin Cooper, of Leeswood, near Mold, told The Daily Post newspaper: “I heard a lot of shouting to start with. They called for security over the loudspeaker. Then 30 seconds or a minute later this lad was being helped by a couple of staff saying, ‘Get me an ambulance.’ The lad attacked was Asian. He had his hands in front of his stomach. I couldn’t tell whether his hands were cut from protecting himself or if he’d been stabbed.”

Rich Fay, a 20-year-old student, said he heard screams coming from an aisle in the supermarket. “In one arm the man had a knife and in the other I believe it was a hammer,” he said.

It is understood the suspect was known to the police, but it is not thought he had a record for violent assaults. There were unconfirmed reports that he had been in the Army.

Detective Chief Inspector Alun Oldfield, who is leading the investigation, said: “Initial indications are this is a racially motivated attack and management of the community impact will feature significantly in order to provide public reassurance.”

There has been concern about far-right groups’ using the murders of 17 people in France by three extreme Islamists, brothers Saïd and Chérif Kouachi and Amedy Coulibaly, as an excuse for violence.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said it was “monitoring unfolding developments in Birmingham” after Muslim-owned businesses were shot at and attacked with hammers on Saturday and Monday.

Witnesses claimed groups of men damaged shops, restaurants and other premises in the Small Heath and Sparkbrook areas of the city. Police have said the motives for the attacks are not known.

The MCB said in a statement: “We hope that these remain isolated incidents.”

West Midlands Police said that it was not believed that the attacks were religiously motivated. It added that they had increased police patrols in the area to reassure local people.