String of killings have put spotlight on adequacy of mental health care in UK

Hainault attack may be latest incident linked to mental ill-health, at a time when NHS services are struggling

While the full picture of the Hainault attack is yet to emerge, the early briefings from the Metropolitan police were clear: a key line of inquiry, in terms of possible motive, was whether the suspect has a history of mental ill-health.

If the police hunches are correct, the tragedy may turn out to be the latest in a series of high-profile killings that have focused public attention on the adequacy of mental health treatment and care.