A London police officer injured after being stabbed several times in a machete attack on Thursday is in a “serious but stable condition,” police said.

In a statement London Metropolitan Police said: the 28-year-old male officer, who sustained injuries to the head and a hand, remained in hospital “in a serious but stable condition,”. “His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.”

The suspect, a 56-year-old man was charged with attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon and he is due to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court in London on Monday morning.

The incident took place around midnight (2300 GMT) when two uniformed officers in a marked police car signaled for a van to stop in Leyton, east London, CEOAFRICA gathered.

They briefly pursued the van when it failed to stop.

When it stopped, the officers got out to speak to the driver, who attacked the police officer, a police statement said.

The machete-wielding driver was arrested after the police officer used a taser to subdue him.

“What began as a routine vehicle stop has transformed very quickly and unexpectedly into an unprovoked attack with a weapon,” said Inspector Julia James from the North East Command Unit.

According to reports, the incident was not believed to be linked to terrorism. Stabbing attacks have risen recently in Britain.