Witnesses to Saturday evening’s stabbings on a train in Cambridgeshire at first wondered if reports of a knife-wielding attacker were a Halloween prank. As passengers fled through the carriages, some of them bleeding and shouting warnings, it became clear that this was one of those terrible moments when a nightmare comes true.

LNER staff and the emergency services deserve credit for their swift response. By diverting the high‑speed service to Huntingdon, train driver Andrew Johnson averted a worse disaster. Another crew member, who remains in a critical condition, has been described by police as “heroic”. Five out of 10 people who were injured in the rampage have been discharged. A suspect, Anthony Williams, was arrested at the scene and has appeared in court.

The contrast between frontline professionalism and the kneejerk cynicism of some rightwing politicians and commentators, in using these events to stoke fear and prejudice, could hardly be greater. Police announced at 10.30am on Sunday that two male suspects, both black British nationals, had been detained. Given that........

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