Man wielding blood-stained knife wrestled to the ground at tube station as his mother's body is found nearby

He was spotted wandering around the car park at Finchley Central station in London, his clothes covered in blood, by the maintenance worker at about 2.35am.

The worker saw the man about to get into a car and seized his ignition keys, pulled him to the floor and pinned him to the ground.

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Another Tube worker called police, who arrived and arrested the man.

Half an hour later, they broke into a flat nearby and discovered the body of a woman in her sixties. She is believed to be the man's mother.

Today five houses in Station Road, Finchley, were cordoned off by police as forensic officers examined the scene. The body was still in the flat.

The Tube station was sealed and commuters were told to make their journey to work by bus.

The man who was seized is 44 and thought to be of African origin. He was initially arrested for carrying a knife, but was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: "Officers noticed blood on the blade and the man's clothing. As a result of further inquiries officers attended an address in Station Road. After forcing entry to the premises they discovered a lifeless body of a female."

A London ambulance crew pronounced the woman dead at the scene at about 3.10am.

The spokeswoman said: "We await to inform next of kin and for formal identification to take place. A post mortem will be scheduled."

Station Road is a busy street where Victorian terraces can fetch up to £500,000. Many of the houses are subdivided into flats. The house in which the dead woman was found had been split into five flats, according to police sources. She was on the ground floor.

Neighbours spoke of their shock today.

Mehmet Emin, 40, who lives next door, said: "I heard some banging and some noise in the early hours of the morning and woke up. I realised the police and ambulances were in front of the house.

"I couldn't work out who lived in the address because it is constantly changing. It is very worrying having it happen right next door to you. I thought the area was safe."