Man seen 'soaked in blood' and neighbours 'so scared' after attack

A man was seen covered in blood in the street after a "violent and terrifying attack" by two men with a machete.

Emergency services were called to Brownlow Hill in the heart of Liverpool's student quarter just after 3pm today, May 20, after reports of a stabbing and attempted robbery.

The victim - a man in his mid-20s, according to witnesses - was reportedly riding a mountain bike in the area when he was attacked by two men on an electric motorbike wielding a machete. The men attempted to steal his bike.

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The alleged assailants then rode off towards Grove Street and were last seen on Mason Street. The man was taken to hospital with several stab wounds, which are currently being assessed.

When the ECHO arrived on the scene, there was a large cordon in place, with several houses taped off opposite the John Lennon Art and Design Building, which is part of Liverpool John Moores University. Blood stains were visible on the pavement in front of the houses.

Among neighbours, there was widespread disbelief and horror about the incident. One woman, who is staying with her daughter in a nearby house, was overcome with emotion as she told us what she saw. She said: "I looked outside and there was a young man just covered in blood, soaked. He looked like he had been stabbed in the shoulder. I was so scared, so scared. I still can't believe it." She said the scene was chaotic, with vehicles beeping their horns as they drove past.

Speaking to the ECHO, another lady who was out walking with her family was aghast at what had happened. She said: "We've lived round here for years. I honestly can't believe it. It's a really nice, well-to-do place, with load of kids and students around. It's shocking."

An investigation is underway in the area whilst officers conduct CCTV, door to door enquiries and forensic examinations.

Chief Inspector Gillian Kearns of Merseyside Police said: "We are in the early stages of investigating what was a violent and terrifying attack on a young man who was assaulted and left with serious injuries after two offenders attempted to steal his bike.

“If you were on Brownlow Hill or Duckinfield Street and saw the attack or these two suspects riding an electric motorbike this afternoon please contact us.

“Similarly, if you saw the offenders on Grove Street or Mason Street please contact us immediately so we can find those responsible.

“Last week our officers continued their work to tackle knife crime using enforcement, prevention and education through Sceptre, the national knife crime awareness campaign.

“Merseyside Police is committed to preventing serious violence to reduce the devastating impact it has on individuals, families, and the wider community.

“Uniformed officers are regularly deployed across Merseyside to deter offenders and provide reassurance to the local community, with a focus in hotspot areas where crime is most likely to happen. More than 3,000 hours of targeted uniformed foot patrols have helped drive down serious violence in the last year.

”Information from our community is also vital if we are to stop such violent crimes that causes fear in our communities.”

If you have any further information about this incident, please contact our social media desk @MerPolCC on Twitter or 'Merseyside Police Contact Centre' on Facebook using log 602 of Monday 20 May or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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