Knifeman stabs two in Brighton

5:21pm Sunday 22nd July 2007

A man stabbed two strangers in broad daylight in one of Brighton's busiest streets.

The victims, aged 24 and 29, were walking together when they were both stabbed by another man outside KFC in London Road, Brighton, at 11.04am today.

They were taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton but their injuries were not thought to be life threatening.

The police helicopter was used to help officers search for the assailant who they believe is not known to the victims. No arrests have been made.

Kirsti Boxall, 21, from Brighton, was working in KFC when a man came running into the fast food restaurant asking for tissues and cloths.

She said: "As far as I know they were just walking along. I had just got back from the bank and a man came running in after me and said someone had been stabbed outside.

"The police took aside two young lads but I do not know if they had anything to do with it. One of the men looked like he had been stabbed in his side, near his stomach. He was rolled away on his side into the ambulance.

"He had a yellow t-shirt on and that was red with blood but there wasn't much blood on the pavement."

Police cordoned off the pavement and closed the fast food restaurant for an hour while they investigated the scene.

Miss Boxall said: "I guess there was not really a panic going on. I don't think they were too badly hurt.

"There were loads of police around - two police cars, an unmarked police car and two ambulances. They put numbers on brown paper on the floor to mark out what they were taking photographs of and took some things away in big brown bags.

"We had to close and the police wouldn't let anybody in here. We have got CCTV and one of the officers came in to have a look but it's got a glare on it so they took it away to see if they could make the images any better."

Lucy Clayton, 17, of Ditchling Road, Brighton, was sat outside Costa Coffee a few doors down when she saw the commotion.

She said: "There were a lot of police cars and an ambulance and they closed off part of the pavement outside KFC but I didn't see if anyone had been stabbed."

The victims suffered injuries to their buttocks.

Witnesses are asked to call Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Did you see the stabbing? Call Ruth Lumley on 01273 544525 or leave a message below.