Multiple injuries after chainsaw attack in Swiss town

Five people have been injured, two seriously, in the Swiss town of Schaffhausen in an attack by a man brandishing a chainsaw.

Police are still searching for the perpetrator, with parts in the centre of town – which is on the German border – has been sealed off.

Swissinfo, a news station in the country, are quoting a police spokesman as saying officers are on the scene and helicopters are circling overhead.

The incident is not related to terrorism, police said, but a large number of officers were on the ground to hunt the perpetrator.

Although the man hasn't been named, police have said they know his identity. He is believed to about 190cm tall with an unkempt appearance, and driving a white Volkswagen van.

The BBC is reporting that local shops are shut, and that people have been warned to avoid the area.

More than 30,000 people live in the town, which is the capital of the canton, or state.