A teenager has been stabbed in Liverpool city centre as the city prepares for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Officers were called to the scene yesterday evening following reports a 17-year-old boy had been attacked by a number of males.
Several streets have been forced to close, with the attack believed to have been carried out on Williamson Street before the victim went to Whitechapel.
Emergency services attended and the victim was taken to hospital for treatment of multiple slash wounds.
Merseyside Police has confirmed he is in a stable condition, but have closed many streets ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations.
A cordon was put in place on Whitechapel outside the Metquarter this evening, with Tesco Express and the Everyman Cinema also within the cordon.
The entrance to the Cavern Quarter on Stanley Street was also sealed off, along with a section of Button Street, Williamson Street and Leigh Street.
The cordons have since been reduced in size but a cordon remains in place on Whitechapel while officers carry out the initial stages of an investigation, including CCTV and witness enquiries.
Chief Inspector Andy Hughes said: ‘We are in the very early stages of this investigation and officers remain at the scene to establish the circumstances of what happened.
‘This was a serious assault which could easily have led to even more serious consequences for the victim, who is thankfully recovering in hospital.
‘We are determined to find those responsible and we will always take positive action whenever we receive information on the possession and use of knives and other weapons in the communities of Merseyside.
‘If you were in the area of Whitechapel earlier this evening and saw or captured anything, please let us know.
‘The smallest detail could prove vital. Knife crime has no place on the streets of Merseyside and we will continue to do everything in our powers to combat it, bring offenders to justice and remove weapons from our streets, so please come forward and tell us what you know.’
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