Man cuts off penis in restaurant
Zizzi on The Strand
The man tried to gain access to the kitchen
A man cut off his penis with a knife in a packed London restaurant.
Police were forced to use CS gas to restrain the man when they entered the Zizzi restaurant in The Strand on Sunday evening.
A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said the man was aged between 30 and 40 and that his injuries were self-inflicted.
The man was then taken to hospital in south London where his condition is stable. It is understood surgeons were unable to reattach his penis.
The man then picked up a kitchen knife and slashed himself across the wrist and groin
Zizzi spokeswoman
A spokeswoman for Zizzi said the man was not thought to have any connection with the restaurant.
She said: "At around 9pm on Sunday, a man walked into the Zizzi restaurant on The Strand, down the stairs to the basement restaurant area and tried to enter a kitchen.
"Members of staff stopped him, at which he ran into a second kitchen area.
"The man then picked up a kitchen knife and slashed himself across the wrist and groin areas before running back into the restaurant, where he continued to stab himself.
"This happened in a matter of seconds and was obviously extremely frightening and distressing for the many customers and staff in the restaurant at the time."
She added: "Apart from the man, we understand that no-one else suffered any physical injuries."