Wanstead knife attack on woman 'suspected hate crime'

An attack on a nursery school worker who was kicked and suffered a cut to the hand with a knife is being treated as a hate crime, say police.

The victim, who is in her 30s, was assaulted in Hermon Hill, Wanstead, by three female suspects at about 09:30 BST on Wednesday.

She was taken to hospital for treatment and has since been discharged.

"As a result of comments made during the attack, police are treating it as a hate crime," Scotland Yard said.

Counter-terrorism police were informed but police are not treating it as a terror-related incident.

Nursery manager Karrien Stevens said the victim told her she was slashed by three Asian women dressed in black.

Ms Stevens, who runs Little Diamonds nursery in Hermon Hill, said the woman told her that she was attacked while on her way to work from Wanstead High Street.

The attackers slashed her arm from the wrist upwards before running off down the street, she said, and shouted out "something to do with Allah and the Koran".

No arrests have been made and enquiries continue, police have said.