A man who attacked several people with a knife in Thornton Heath also threw concrete blocks off a bridge on to four vehicles.

Afghan refugee Samiualahq Akbari, 32, of Brigstock Road, was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment for attempted murder.

The sentence also included punishment for  criminal damage with intent to endanger life of the occupants of four vehicles on the A127 at Basildon.

He was sitting on a bridge above and threw concrete blocks into the windscreen of a lorry and three vehicles and shouted threats at the drivers.

Akbari had been found guilty following trial which heard how while heavily drunk he told his cousin he wanted to “kill English people”. He then went into three different establishments in Thornton Heath looking for someone to harm.

Akbari entered a kebab shop on London Road, approached two customers asking them were they were from. When they didn’t answer, Akbari walked behind the counter and took a large kitchen knife which he waved in a customer’s face.

Akbari then left the kebab shop with the knife and entered Plough-On-The-Pond Public House in search of further victims. After asking customers in the pub where they were from he again lunged towards a group with the knife. The group were able to defend themselves so Akbari left the pub and went into Tesco and approached a customer. He asked the victim where he was from and when he ascertained he was from the UK he charged at the victim with the knife. The victim managed to jump backwards and the knife missed him, after a brief struggle, Akbari left the shop still carrying the knife and shortly afterward was detained by police.