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Terrified passengers thought the Tokyo subway knifeman was dressed as the Joker for a Halloween stunt.

The stabbing spree left 17 people injured after the attacker went on a stabbing spree in two carriages before spraying them with acid, The Sun reported.

People scrambled to escape through the train's windows as the horror unfolded at around 8pm local time (11am GMT), police and witnesses said.

Footage posted on social media appears to show the alleged attacker dressed like the Joker in the Batman films.

One witness told the Yomiuri newspaper they saw the attacker wielding a blood-stained knife.

They said: "I thought it was a Halloween stunt. Then, I saw a man walking this way, slowly waving a long knife."

The attacker is believed to have sprayed hydrochloric acid inside the first and second cars of the train before setting them on fire.

Police have arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder over the attack inside the Keio train near the Kokuryo station.

The motive for the rampage is unclear. He told investigators he "wanted to kill people and be given the death penalty", the Kyodo news agency reported.