Shocking moment man wielding axe confronts man with knife on east London street

Two men, brandishing an axe and a knife, threaten each other in the street in Stratford. 

An axe-wielding motorist has been photographed confronting a man wielding a large knife, in a suspected road-rage incident in east London.

The driver of a blue hatchback had jumped out of his car carrying a hatchet just as the backseat passenger of the car in front emerged brandishing a pink blade. 

Mitchell Gunn, a photographer who lives on West Road in Stratford, saw the men faced off against each other for several minutes around 1pm on Tuesday before they drove off. No one was injured. 

That rather scary moment when you look out of your window and see guys with knives

and axes squaring off.

The 48-year-old, who did not see what caused the row, quickly caught the shocking scene on camera. 

"Being an ex-military policeman I always keep my eye out to make sure there's no suspicious characters around," he told the Standard. 

"I was downstairs and heard a noise like an argument. I saw a man brandishing an axe, walking towards another guy. As soon as I saw the axe, I picked my camera up and fired off a few frames."

Mr Gunn said he suspected the row was caused by a disagreement over driving and did not think the pair knew each other. 

"You often have minor little altercations there," he said, referring to the junction on West Road. 

"People turn at the last minute because it's hidden by the car park along the road. I don't think they knew each other, you don't often wave knives and axes at your friends."

A Scotland Yard spokesman told the newspaper police were called to the altercation after "a report of a disturbance involving people armed with weapon".

"Officers attended and found no trace of a disturbance. No persons were found to be injured at the location."