Otley Run security call after Headingley crossbow attack

More security along the route of a well-known pub crawl was needed after two women were seriously injured in an attack involving a crossbow, a councillor has said.

Police were called to Otley Road in Headingley, Leeds, just before 15:00 BST on Saturday to reports of a man being seen with weapons.

Two women, aged 19 and 31, were taken to hospital for treatment following the incident, with one later being discharged, while a 38-year-old man was arrested and remained in hospital after suffering a self-inflicted injury, according to police.

Headingley Labour councillor Jonathan Pryor told the BBC he believed safety around the Otley Run “needs looking at” in the light of the weekend’s events.

The Otley Run is an informal 19-stop drinking route spread over three miles along Otley Road and is popular with the thousands of students at the city’s universities.

Pryor, who is also deputy leader of Leeds City Council, said of the incident in Headingley on Saturday: “I’m so pleased it wasn’t worse than it was.”

“It’s always so busy in Headingley on an afternoon and there are lots of families here, too. It’s a real hub,” he said.

Pryor said the council was now looking at ways to make Headingley – and specifically the route of the Otley Run – safer.

“It’s not a formal event, it’s just a pub crawl – but there is always a huge amount of people,” he explained.

“But there aren’t the same security measures you would get at a football match or Leeds Carnival. That’s something we need to look at.”

West Yorkshire Police said while one of the women injured in Saturday’s attack had since been discharged from hospital, the other had undergone surgery for life-threatening injuries and remained in hospital in a stable condition.

A spokesperson for Counter Terrorism Policing North East, leading the investigation, described what had happened as an “isolated incident”, adding that officers were continuing to investigate and the arrested man was the “key suspect”.

Det Ch Supt James Dunkerley, heading the unit, added that officers were “working at pace to establish the full facts and circumstances of Saturday’s incident”.

In Parliament on Monday, Alex Sobel, Labour MP for Leeds Central and Headingley, praised the “heroic efforts” of the members of the public who stepped in to help the victims.

“The details of how they helped are still emerging, but I already know without them we may have had a far worse tragedy,” he said.

Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson told the Commons her thoughts and prayers were with the victims of the “horrific violent incident”.

“Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken the lead for the investigation into this attack and are now working with West Yorkshire Police,” she told MPs.

“This is an ongoing investigation and I cannot comment on particular details of the case other than to note that we must allow the police time and space to conduct their investigation.

“Having said that, we are very aware of concerns about the use of crossbows in violent attacks.

“We share those concerns, and last week the government tabled amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill to strengthen age verification controls on both online sale and delivery of crossbows.”

The government planned to “further limit the availability of accessibility of crossbows”, Johnson said.

A statement from Leeds University said it recognised that Headingley was a “vibrant and well-loved area” and that many staff and students were concerned about what had happened.

A spokesperson said: “Uniformed officers remain highly visible in communities to reassure residents, partners and business owners in the affected area.

“We understand incidents like this can cause anxiety, so we are liaising closely with the police and community partners.

“There is also an increased police presence in the Headingley area to provide reassurance and support services are available to any member of our community who has been affected.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Leeds Beckett University said: “We know that such a terrible incident will impact people in different ways.

“Our support services are available for students and colleagues who may have been affected.

“We will continue to communicate with all our students and colleagues as we return to campus.”