The stabbing of three people at a Tube station by a man wielding a machete is being treated as a terrorist incident, police have said.

The man reportedly said “This is for Syria” after he launched the attack at Leytonstone station in east London on Saturday night.

Police cordon off Leytonstone Underground Station in east London on Saturday night

Shocking video footage posted online shows a large pool of blood spattered across the floor of the ticket hall as a man is seen threatening other passengers in the station.

One man has suffered serious knife wounds while two other people sustained minor injuries in the attack.

Commander Richard Walton, who leads the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “We are treating this as a terrorist incident. I would urge the public to remain calm, but alert and vigilant.

“The threat from terrorism remains at severe, which means that a terrorist attack is highly likely.”

In the video, the knifeman approaches and gesticulates at two people in the station.

As they approach him he lashes out with his knife and appears to slash one of them in the neck area.

Moments later a uniformed police officer arrives on the scene and fires his Taser at the man.

In another video of the incident posted online, the man is pinned down on the floor by two police officers as another man can be heard shouting out to him: “You ain’t no Muslim bruv.”Police cordon off Leytonstone

Police said they were called just after 7pm to reports that a number of people had been stabbed at the station and a man was threatening people with a knife.

One man received serious knife injuries not believed to be life-threatening and two other people sustained minor injuries, Scotland Yard said.

A man was arrested just before 7.15pm and taken to an east London police station where he remained in custody.

Mr Walton added: “I would appeal to anyone who was in the vicinity of Leytonstone Underground station earlier this evening at around 7pm who saw anything suspicious to call the anti-terror hotline on 0800 789 321.

“Anyone who may have captured video or photographic footage of the incident is also urged to make contact with the Counter Terrorism Command via the Anti-Terror hotline”.