Man stabbed in Kilburn High Road Boots after trying to stop a shoplifter
A 58-year-old man was stabbed on Friday morning inside the Boots pharmacy on Kilburn High Road. It is understood he was helping security staff stop a shoplifter. Police are still looking for the suspect.
A man was stabbed inside a Boots pharmacy on Kilburn High Road after stepping in to stop a suspected shoplifter.
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called at about 10.30am on Friday 30 October to reports of a stabbing at a pharmacy on Kilburn High Road, NW6.
The victim, a 58-year-old man, was taken to hospital. Police said his injuries are not life-changing.
No arrests have been made. The Met said urgent enquiries are continuing to find the suspect.
What happened
It is understood the man was a member of the public. He was reportedly trying to help security staff stop a shoplifter leaving the shop when he was attacked.
The London Ambulance Service said it was called at 10.29am to reports of a stabbing on Kilburn High Road. It sent an ambulance crew and a paramedic in a fast response car. Crews treated the man at the scene and then took him to a local hospital.
Police cars were parked outside the shop later that morning, and officers were seen at the entrance. Kilburn High Road was busy at the time, as it usually is on a weekday morning.
Police have not released a description of the suspect and have not said whether anything was taken from the shop.
A busy high street
Kilburn High Road is one of north-west London's main shopping streets. It runs along the border between the boroughs of Brent and Camden and is lined with chain stores, independent shops, cafes and restaurants.
This is not the first time someone on the road has been hurt confronting a shoplifter. In May 2025, a shopkeeper on Kilburn High Road was stabbed in the chest outside his shop after confronting a shoplifter. The local MP spoke about knife crime on the high street afterwards.
Shop theft and attacks on retail workers have been a growing worry for traders across London in recent years. Business groups and shop workers' unions have called for stronger protection for staff and for people who step in to help.
How to help the police
Anyone who was on Kilburn High Road on Friday morning and saw what happened, or has phone or dashcam footage from around 10.30am, can contact the Metropolitan Police on 101 or through the Met's website. Call 999 in an emergency.
Information can also be given anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.