A naked man found brandishing a knife at a busy junction was tasered by police before being arrested.

A section of Higham Hill Road, Walthamstow, near the junction with Forest Road was cordoned off on Sunday morning while emergency services dealt with the incident.

After the man had undergone an assessment, police decided to de-arrest him and detain him under the Mental Health Act.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Police were called at 07:22hrs on Sunday, 3 June to reports of a naked man armed with a knife in Higham Hill Road, E17.

“Officers attended and located the suspect.

“The suspect, aged 57, refused to drop the knife and was tasered by police.

“He was arrested and was taken to an east London hospital by the London Ambulance Service for treatment and a mental health assessment.

“Following the assessment, the man was subsequently de-arrested and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act.”