Police have urged witnesses to come forward after a man stabbed a shop worker in a Melbourne department store today.
A man and a woman stole a designer handbag from David Jones in Little Bourke Street just before midday, police said.
When a male staff member confronted them, the man stabbed him in the arm, before fleeing with his female accomplice.
The staff member was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Melbourne detectives are investigating the incident but have not made any arrests.
They are calling for witnesses to the attack or anybody who might have vision to contact them or Crime Stoppers.
A spokesman for David Jones said the retailer was helping police with their investigation.
"Across the country retailers are seeing increasing incidents of theft and violence towards workers," he said.
"This is completely unacceptable, and we continue to partner with the police and have taken appropriate measures with security across our store network."
Witness describes 'awful' scene
Jilli Gullotti, who works in a shop overlooking David Jones' Little Bourke Street entrance, said she saw an ambulance rushing the injured worker away.
"I thought someone had dropped a white and red scarf but it was blood. He was just inside the doors on the ground," she said.
"There was a lot of blood."
She has worked in Emporium for about a-year-and-a-half and said crime in the city was getting worse.
"It's not safe the city," she said.
Ms Gullotti said police had searched parts of Emporium for the alleged attackers, speaking to one of her colleagues.
"The police told my college there was a stabbing and they were looking for someone in Emporium," she said.
"That's scary. What happened today was awful."
