Teenage girl 'waited for an hour before stabbing 14-year-old schoolgirl in the neck' in shocking ambush

• Girl, 14, was stabbed in Ilford, east London at around 3pm yesterday afternoon
• Police arrested a female on suspicion of GBH with intent and she is in custody
• Locals said the suspect waited for an hour to carry out the horrific attack 

A teenage girl waited an hour to launch an attack against a 14-year-old schoolgirl who was stabbed in the neck on a London street in broad daylight, locals have claimed.

The girl was attacked around 3pm on Monday in Ilford, east London. Police have arrested a woman on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Locals say that following the fight near a garage on the road, a girl was seen running away chased by a lorry driver and throwing a knife under a black car parked in a driveway.

The victim, described as a 'very decent girl', was slashed in the neck with a kitchen knife but was able to flee to her grandfather's house on the same street.

Abbas Syed, 39, who works at Tesco, said: 'That girl was my daughter's friend. She used to come to our house and play even though she's four years older than my daughter.

'She is a really nice girl. She's a very decent girl. I can't imagine how she got involved with anything wrong - it must be someone that wanted to hurt her or hurt anyone.

'She is good at school. She goes to the mosque.

'I know the whole family and they are all really decent people.

'They must be very worried. I tried to call her dad but it wasn't going through - I'm guessing he is still at the hospital.

'I have no idea why it might have happened or why anyone would want to hurt her.'

Two others nearby confirmed the name of the victim but did not want to speak about her without permission from the family, who were not at home.

One neighbour, who declined to give his name, said: 'I'm doing up my mum's house and I saw this girl, must be about 14 or 15, in this hooded top wait for an hour on that street.

'She must have been waiting for this girl.

'I didn't see the actual attack, but I did see this girl running down the street getting chased by a lorry driver and a postie.

'I think she got arrested pretty quickly afterwards.

'I know the police is saying it's a woman but I'm pretty sure these girls must know each other.

'You know what it's like, you say the wrong thing these days and you end up with a knife in you somehow. Normally it's boys who are stabbing each other. For girls to do it, the world's gone insane.

'It's shocking. It's not been that long since three murders that happened nearby.'

Another neighbour said: 'I didn't look outside until I heard the screams of these kids. This girl in a hoody ran past my house and legged it down the road.

'I don't think she got that far before she was caught.

'She is a good girl. I'm just really thankful that it doesn't appear to be life-threatening. I'm praying for her.

'I live by her grandfather - I know he's gone to be with the family as they look after her.

'I'll be wishing them all well. It's a very scary thing to have happened.'