A London police officer was on Thursday seriously injured after he was stabbed several times in a machete attack in connection with a routine vehicle stop.

According to the London Metropolitan Police, the male officer in his 30s is in the hospital in a serious but stable condition.

He sustained injuries in the head and hand.

The incident took place around midnight when two uniformed officers in a marked police car signaled for a van to stop in Leyton, east London.

The police said that they briefly pursued the van when it failed to stop and when it later stopped, the officers got out to speak to the driver, who attacked the police officer.

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The machete-wielding driver is in his 50s.

He was arrested after the police officer used a teaser to subdue him.

“What began as a routine vehicle stop has transformed very quickly and unexpectedly into an unprovoked attack with a weapon.

“The incident was not believed to be linked to terrorism.

“Stabbing attacks have risen recently in Britain,“ said Inspector Julia James of the North-East Command Unit. (dpa/NAN)