Man arrested after 10 attacked with penknife

A man was arrested after attacking eight people and two police officers with a penknife, police said today.

The 54-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the incident in the Easton Road area of Bristol at around 4.50pm yesterday.

Eight members of the public and two Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) were struck by the penknife on a cycle path near to Russell Town Avenue.

It is thought an argument started at a house and spilled out on to the street.

The PCSOs were out on patrol and tried to control the situation when they were hurt.

Avon and Somerset Police said that none of the victims, who were all male, received serious injury.

The area has been sealed off by police, pending detailed forensic examination by crime scene investigators.

Officers and PCSOs are today carrying out house-to-house enquiries.

It is understood that one PCSO was stabbed in the back and the other had his hands slashed, as both tried to disarm the knifeman.

The incident is believed to have started at a property in the area then spilled out onto the street, where the PCSOs were patrolling.

It was also reported today that the men continued to wrestle with their attacker despite their wounds, although police have not commented further.

The members of the public - all men - suffered minor injuries to the upper body. Those include stab wounds to the side, to the hip, arms and shoulders.

The two PCSOs were treated in hospital, and some of the other victims were also examined.

Superintendent Julian Moss, who is leading the inquiry, told the Bristol Evening Post: "These officers put themselves in danger and took very swift and effective action in what was a very dangerous situation.

"They confronted the armed suspect and in doing so one received a hand wound and the other an injury to his side.

"The weapon involved was a penknife, so fortunately their injuries were not life-threatening - these were indiscriminate attacks with no apparent motivation."

The inquiry would be looking at the "state of mind" of the attacker, he added.

A 15-year-old boy said he saw the attacker run after a man and stab him, with one of the PCSOs sustaining "cuts on his fingers".

Police are appealing for anyone who may have been in the area at the time to contact them at Trinity Road police station on 0845 456 7000 or by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.