A man in his 60s who uses a wheelchair has been stabbed in a daytime attack outside shops in the Wirral, with a 40-year-old man arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Merseyside Police said officers were called to Hoole Road, in the Woodchurch estate, just after 3.40pm on Thursday, following reports that a man had been attacked in the street. Witnesses said the victim was in his wheelchair when he was set upon on a busy road close to a parade of shops. Paramedics treated him at the scene for knife wounds to his shoulder and ribs before he was taken to hospital, where his condition was described as serious but stable.
Local residents told the Liverpool Echo that the victim is disabled and unable to speak. The Sun reported that images shared on social media afterwards showed a section of the road cordoned off, with police cars at the scene.
Armed officers arrested a 40-year-old man from Noctorum within hours of the attack. He remains in custody while the investigation continues.
Detective Inspector Andy Schofield, of Merseyside Police, said an inquiry was under way after the victim suffered a serious injury and was receiving hospital care. He said that, despite the swift arrest, officers were keen to hear from anyone who had been on Hoole Road at around 3.40pm, when the area would have been busy with people returning home from work or visiting nearby shops. “Knife crime has no place on our streets,” he added, urging anyone with information about the incident — or about people carrying, storing or using knives in Merseyside — to come forward.
Police have asked any witnesses who have not yet spoken to officers to contact the force or the independent charity Crimestoppers. No charges have yet been brought, and the arrested man is presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise.
