Man arrested after microwave food and meat was injected with syringe 'filled with his blood' at three London supermarkets 'threw one of needles at a jogger and told him 'they're my freshies' before walking off'

A man who was arrested after microwave food was allegedly injected with syringes filled with his blood at three London supermarkets 'threw one of the needles at a jogger'.  

The man clashed with Tom Harrington, 38, after chanting 'run fat boy run' as he ran past him just after 7pm last night in Hammersmith, West London.

Speaking to MailOnline today Mr Harrington, a media analyst, said the man produced a metal cylinder filled with about 30-syringes.

He took one out and threw it at his feet before nonchalantly walking off.

The confrontation took place about 100 metres away from a Waitrose supermarket, where the man is believed to have injected a substance - possibly his own blood - into processed meats and microwave meals.

Meat seen in health hazard police bags outside Tesco after it was allegedly targeted

He is thought to have also targeted a nearby Tesco and Sainsbury's supermarkets just before 8pm last night.

Recalling his brush with the suspect, Mr Harrington said: 'I was on a run just after 7pm last night and was running along Rannoch Road by the junction of Silverton Road when this guy started to chant 'run fat boy run' at me.

'He was a white guy, normal build with stubble who looked to be aged in his 30s. He was eyeballing me so I stopped and asked him what he was doing but he continued to chant.

'Then he pulled out this tin cylinder - like a pen case - but it was filled with 30 or so syringes.

The man was alleged to have hit three supermarkets Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury's

Forensic teams were today inside the supermarkets trying to identify which food was hit

'He pulled one out and threw it at me. I was only standing about a metre and a half from him but it didn't hit me, it landed on the ground by my feet.

'I couldn't quite tell what was in it - it may have had blood in, I couldn't quite tell to be sure - but I noticed the syringe had the top on still.

'At this point he was starting to walk down Silverton Road towards Fulham Palace Road, where the supermarkets are.

'I asked him 'Did you just throw a syringe at me?'. He turned back and said over his shoulder 'they're my freshies' or words to that effect. It was a very strange encounter.'

The Metropolitan Police were called just before 8pm after a man was reported to be shouting abuse at people in the street.

He is alleged to have visited the Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury's outlets on Fulham Palace Road, where he allegedly injected food products using more than one syringe.

The specialists were seen talking to uniformed officers guarding the scenes this morning

It is currently unknown how many items have been contaminated, or with what substance.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council issued an 'emergency alert' notice on its social media accounts yesterday evening.

It said: 'Members of the public are advised as a precaution to dispose of any food items bought from these supermarkets this evening.

'H&F Council's Environmental Health team are now working with the supermarket branches affected.' 

Forensic officers were seen packing processed meat packs into health hazard bags to be sent for chemical testing this morning. They are still investigating if any other shops had been targeted. 

An NHS worker, who declined to be named, said: 'I live close by and went outside last night to find out what was going on.

'There were police outside Waitrose and I asked an officer what it was that the man had been injecting and he mentioned that it could be blood.

'He said that whatever the substance is, it's gone off to be tested. The police are also checking the CCTV.'

Crimescenes were still taped off today around the stores affected, Fulham's Little Waitrose, Sainsbury's Local and Tesco Express. 

The man allegedly visited three separate supermarkets on Fulham Palace Road in West London

It came as more information on the panic the suspect had caused emerged on the street. 

Vince Dwyer, 57, a digital art designer, said he was in Sainsbury's at just after 7.30pm when he spotted the suspect arguing with a woman in a queue.

He said: 'I just went up there to Sainsbury's last night to buy a bottle of water. I went and grabbed the water off the top shelf - that's all I was buying.

'I heard shouting. It's not unusual if you live around here. The security guard was following some guy around the shop and my first impression was maybe it was shoplifting.

'I thought maybe because he wasn't wearing a face covering but people aren't really wearing them now anymore so it wouldn't have been that.

'The guy was shouting, 'get away. get away', very loud. It then stopped and he then was shouting, 'I'm not a child.' Something like that.

'As he was leaving and I was finishing paying for my shopping, he was coming back down the aisle and he looked at this woman.

'He shouted, 'what the f*** are you looking at you fat b****?'. She wasn't a shrinking violet - she answered him back. He threw something at her and I read online that it was eggs.

'He was carrying a box of eggs. It was a green box with six eggs. As he was leaving he started 'effing and blinding at this woman again. She was shouting, 'you need to get help'.

'When they left he was just ahead of me. He had a little black plastic box. He was throwing things, syringes, out onto the road in front of the cars. 

The man is alleged to have visited the Tesco , Waitrose and Sainsbury's outlets on Fulham Palace Road (pictured: Tesco) 

Investigators at Little Waitrose store on Fulham Palace Road early this morning 

'He walked north up Fulham Palace Road. When I turned back, the woman had come out of Sainsbury's and was shouting at him still. He was just crossing the road and walked straight into traffic near Tesco.'

Mr Dwyer described the suspect as in his late 20s or early 30s, likely from London, with black curly hair and perhaps with Mediterranean or Middle Eastern heritage. He was wearing a black sports short-sleeved shirt with 'Carr' written on the back.

He added: 'I think the syringe, the plastic parts, were red. I didn't see what coloured liquid was inside. He had quite a few of them.

'He was just chucking them on the road. At the time it wasn't that shocking. Things always happen around here. It's either shoplifting or a stabbing round here.

'He was ranting. He didn't look like he was drunk. He wasn't slurring. It was somebody shouting at the supermarket. I imagine there was a mental health issue.

'When he was being led out he was just screaming at the woman. All she was doing was just looking like anybody else was. It didn't seem like she had done anything to him.'

Startled storekeepers told how they desperately shut their doors to try and stop him getting inside to cause more mayhem.

A petrol station manager on the road said: 'Police came in and told us to close about 8pm.

'We only opened about half an hour ago at about 11am. I think it's the same with anywhere that was open yesterday.

Sainsbury's Local was kept shut after it was targeted by the suspect in the unusual incident

The Little Waitrose shop was still closed as police investigated the incident's circumstances

Tesco was filled with forensic officers who were seen looking carefully at the food inside

'I think they were trying to make sure this man didn't go into any other shops. It's scary. I can't believe that something like this has happened.'

Shoppers were also terrified of returning to the stores after the incidents. 

Dental nurse Pamela Wright, 38, added: 'I bought a carton of milk and a sandwich from Waitrose yesterday lunchtime.

'Even though that was before it's said to have happened, I'm shocked. 

'It sends you crazy. Who is this guy? What has he done? Has he done it before?

'I've not been ill, but I'm scared to think that this has happened right where you shop.

'He's a terrorist. It's unacceptable. I really hope the police charge him with terrorism because he's trying to instill fear in everybody.' 

Hammersmith & Fulham Council said officers were called at just before 8pm after a man was reported to be shouting abuse at people in the street.  

The man has been taken into police custody accused of trying to cause public harm or anxiety.

The supermarkets have been closed and crime scenes are in place.

The affected items are believed to be processed meat and microwaveable products, according to the council.

It is currently unknown how many items have been contaminated, or with what substance.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council issued an 'emergency alert' notice on its social media accounts on Wednesday evening.

It said: 'Members of the public are advised as a precaution to dispose of any food items bought from these supermarkets this evening.

'H&F Council's Environmental Health team are now working with the supermarket branches affected.'

The Metropolitan Police said: 'Police have arrested a man in Hammersmith and Fulham on suspicion of contamination of goods with intention of causing public harm or anxiety after foodstuffs at supermarkets were injected with needles.

'Officers were called at around 7.40pm after a man was reported to be shouting abuse at people in the street. The man is reported to have gone into three supermarkets in Fulham Palace Road SW6 and injected foodstuffs with a number of needles.

'He has been taken into police custody. The supermarkets have closed and crime scenes are in place.

'The food items affected are believed to be processed meat and microwaveable products. It is currently unknown as to how many items have been contaminated, or what with. Investigations are on-going to establish if other businesses in the area are involved in the incident.'

It did not respond on the issue of whether blood had been suspected to be used.