Neighbours say they urged a young man not to pull a 'horrible' knife from his wound moments after being stabbed in broad daylight. Greater Manchester Police says a man in his 20s was taken to hospital in a life threatening condition following the incident in Little Lever, Bolton.
It followed an altercation at the end of Booth Road, near the junction with Mytham Road, at around 1pm today (February 12). Witnesses told GMP they saw two men in possession of knives - including one man with a 'Rambo-style hunting knife' - fighting with an unknown number of other men.
One man, in his 20s, suffered serious injuries to his torso and back following the stabbing and was taken to hospital for surgery. Residents living close to the scene told the Manchester Evening News how they urged the man not to open his wound by removing the knife.
A woman on nearby Edinburgh Road said: "We were telling him not to take the knife out, but he panicked and pulled it out. He pulled it out and it dropped on the floor.
"He was sat in a car, some woman had put him across the back seat. They put pressure on [the wound] and they drove off. He didn't look particularly well.
"I was on the phone to my daughter, she was saying to lay him on the floor and just stem the bleeding, don't take the knife out. But he panicked, he said 'it's coming out'.
"One of the neighbours tried to stem the bleeding, she was screaming on the phone to the ambulance saying 'he's pulled it out'. It was just shocking. He wasn't that old."
Her neighbour described the horror of seeing the aftermath of the stabbing. She said: "I just heard this screaming. There was a young girl, she was very agitated."
She added: "I've never seen such a big, horrible knife." Moments after the 'confrontation' on Booth Road, a number of cars were seen leaving the area.
A Mytham Road resident said: "One of the guys was saying that he didn't want to be here when the police came. Two cars parked outside my house spun round and went back down Booth Road."
Officers spent several hours on Booth Road, with the street taped off while crime scene investigators gathered evidence. GMP also attended two other locations following the incident.
Forensics officers were in attendance on Kirkstall Gardens, less than two miles away in Radcliffe, where a suspect was detained and a 'vehicle of interest' was identified. Images from the scene show a black Vauxhall Corsa, with the passenger door left open, appeared to be the focus of investigations.
The suspect was taken to hospital for treatment to injuries, which were not considered to be life threatening or life changing. Officers also sealed off the car park of the Jolly Carter pub on Church Street, Little Lever, while a vehicle was processed by forensic teams.
North West Ambulance Service was also seen in attendance near to the pub. "We were in the Jolly Carter and saw the police speed through," one eyewitness said.
"What it was about, I've no idea." Near to Booth Road, a number of residents spoken of their sadness at yet another incident of knife crime unfolding in Greater Manchester - with this one taking place on their doorstep.
One woman said: "It's ridiculous. Lads with knives. It's not actually a bad estate here."
But another resident, on Mytham Road, suggested the area had become a 'busy hotspot' for anti-social behaviour. He said: "A lot of kids, they hang out there. Motorcycles, kids on bikes, that's where they hang out.
"We are asking for more police around the area and it hasn't been sorted. It's like they don't want to hear about it."
GMP says it will be ramping up patrols in the area in the coming days. DCI Dean Purtill said: "This is still very much an ongoing investigation in its very early stages but we are confident that this is a targeted incident and the wider community are not at risk.
"However, we are going to be increasing patrols in the area over the next few days, who will be there to support the community as the investigation continues." Any witnesses are urged to come forward by calling Bolton CID on 0161 856 5757 or 101, quoting log number 1497 of February 12, 2023.
Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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