‘American spy working at GCHQ’ stabbed in suspected terror attack
A woman stabbed
in an alleged terrorist incident in Cheltenham was an American spy working at the nearby GCHQ base.
The victim was targeted by a lone knifeman as she sat in her car in a leisure centre car park in the Gloucestershire town on March 9.
She was rushed to hospital where she underwent surgery and remained in a stable condition.
A 29-year-old man arrested at the scene was initially held on suspicion of attempted murder. On March 11, police confirmed that he had been re-arrested on suspicion of terror offences.
It has now been reported that the woman attacked was a US intelligence agent, who had been seconded to the Government’s secret listening station at GCHQ.
The exact nature of her role has not been revealed, but it is thought she could have been working for the US National Security Agency which has close links with the security services in the UK.
‘Pair were seen arguing before stabbing’
The incident occurred at about 9.15pm on March 9 at the leisure centre in Tommy Taylors Lane, Cheltenham.
The victim was believed to be in her car when a knifeman attacked her, with local reports claiming that the pair were seen arguing in the vehicle before the incident.
After being stabbed, the woman managed to get out of the car and raise the alarm. She was then given first aid by leisure centre staff, while paramedics raced to the scene.
Two ambulances attended and the victim was rushed to hospital, where doctors performed surgery on her.
It is not clear whether the woman was targeted or if she was known to her attacker and police said the suspect remained in custody for questioning.
One local told the Daily Mail: “They were either parked or had pulled into the car park when she was stabbed and then she managed to get out of the car and get to the leisure centre.
“There were two ambulances and then the police arrested the bloke in the car. We heard he was Asian.”
Woman who was hurt by lone knifeman said to be on secondment to the Government’s secret listening station
www.telegraph.co.uk