Two police officers have been hospitalised after being “seriously injured” in a stabbing attack in central London in the early hours of Friday morning.

As the British capital is preparing for what is expected to be the largest security operation in the history of the nation as world leaders descend upon London to pay their respect to Queen Elizabeth II, two officers have been laid low after suffering stab injuries during an incident at 6 a.m. in Leicester Square.

The attack followed what appeared to be a routine stop of a man who was behaving erratically in the early hours of the morning, according to The Telegraph. The newspaper claimed that the alleged perpetrator launched into a “frenzied” attack with a knife once the officers approached him, stabbing one officer in the neck and the other in the arm.

The two officers were both reportedly unarmed, and the man was later subdued and tasered by another officer who arrived on the scene to assist.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed: “On Friday, 16 September at around 06:00hrs Police encountered a male with a knife in the area of Leicester Square.

“Two officers received stab wounds and are currently being treated in hospital. We await further updates on their conditions. Taser was deployed and [a] male was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker.

“He was taken to a hospital for treatment where he remains at this time. Enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing.”

Commenting on the attack, London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “This attack on serving police officers in Soho overnight is utterly appalling. These brave officers were doing their duty and assisting the public at this momentous time for our country.

“My thoughts and prayers are with them, their loved ones and police colleagues following this disgraceful attack. Our police officers run towards danger to protect others and keep us safe and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

“I have spoken with the new Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley about this awful incident and remain in close contact. Attacks against the police will not be tolerated and any perpetrators will be caught and prosecuted.”

Mr Khan has come under increasing scrutiny over the summer which saw London plunged into a crime wave, which the leftist mayor blamed on the hot weather and the cost of living crisis. The Labour Party mayor’s tenure in office has been marked by bloodshed, with London seeing over one hundred killings each year he was in office, including the two years of lockdown restrictions.

While he was re-elected for a second term as Mayor of London last year, a poll earlier this year found that 60 per cent of Londoners felt that he was handling crime “badly”.

The Metropolitan Police Federation, a union-like body which represents over 31,000 officers, has openly criticised the mayor on the issue,  declaring in February that it has “no faith” in his leadership on crime.

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