Stabbed teen seen running down street 'in distressed state' by neighbours

A distressed teenager was seen running down the street after being stabbed in what police have said was a targeted" attack.

The 16-year-old boy is fighting for his life in hospital after he was stabbed twice in the chest at around 10.20pm yesterday, April 9. He then arrived, injured, at an address on Woodlands Road in Aigburth.

Today, April 10, police were stationed on Hailsham Road where there was a cordon in place and police vehicles were seen on Woodlands Road.

It has not been confirmed by Merseyside Police as to where the teenager was stabbed and if the two scenes are linked. When the ECHO arrived on Woodlands Road this afternoon, the street was calm, but neighbours were clearly shaken by what happened.

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One neighbour said she was alerted to incident when she saw blue flashing lights through her living room window late yesterday evening. Outside her home, there were two ambulances and several police cars.

The neighbour said: "I looked out of the window and saw a lad running towards the ambulance with an older lady, maybe his mum. They looked very distressed, the both of them."

She said she was "shocked" by what happened last night, adding, "I just thought someone had been taken ill, not stabbed".

The neighbour has lived in the area for around 40 years, and has seen a lot of changes on the street. She said: "We used to have a lot of problems round here with gangs - teenage lads up to no good. But it's been calm now for a few years, so it was a shock what happened last night."

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police confirmed an investigation into the incident is underway. Following initial inquiries, a boy and girl, both aged 16, were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. They are both in police custody and will be questioned by officers. Merseyside Police said officers are still trying to establish the circumstances of the incident, including the exact location of the stabbing.

Officers remain in the area to carry out house to house and CCTV investigations. Anyone with information is asked to contact the police.

Detective Inspector Michael Fletcher of Merseyside Police said: "At this stage we are looking to establish the circumstances of what appears to have been a targeted attack. A 16-year-old boy is sadly in a critical condition in hospital and we are determined to get answers for him and his family.

"Although we have arrested two people in connection with this incident, we are still in the early stages of the investigation and would appeal for anyone with information to please come forward. As part of our ongoing inquiries, we are trying to establish the location of the stabbing, so if you live in the area and have CCTV or dashcam footage, please review it to see if you captured anything from last night. If you have any information, please get in touch as a matter of urgency.”

DI Fletcher added: "Merseyside Police is determined to protect the public from serious violence and knife crime. We remain committed to targeting anyone who chooses to carry weapons on our streets and bring them to justice.

"Through proactive use of stop and search powers, open land searches, warrants and education work alongside partners our officers are continuing to reduce and prevent knife crime in Merseyside. I would urge anyone with information about knife crime in your area to get in touch so we can act on community intelligence."

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to DM @MerPolCC on Twitter, call 101, quoting reference 24000327249. You can also pass information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.

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