NEIGHBOURS told how they heard screaming and saw a woman lying on the floor bleeding after a suspected stabbing.

Police and paramedics were called to the scene in Highdown, Southwick, at around 9am on Saturday.

Witnesses said they saw next door neighbours run to the aid of a woman lying bleeding on the grass in middle of the crescent-shaped close to try and help her until the ambulance arrived.

Others told how they awoke to find their residential street, which houses several young families, full of police.

The Argus understands one woman was stabbed and possibly another sustained a head injury in the incident. They are believed to be recovering in hospital after treatment but police have been unable to confirm any further information at this time.

Dot Memsley, 78, and her husband Wally, 90, who live opposite the green, were just waking up when police descended on the street.

Mrs Memsley said: "We stayed up late watching the film Rogue on television so we got up a bit later. I went down to make myself some breakfast but didn't feel like it and then I looked out the window and saw police cars, one after another, racing into the close.

"There were ambulances too.

"I could see some of our neighbours helping a woman who was lying on the ground in the grass.

"It was frightening, we didn't know what was going on.

"The police are up here quite a lot, there have been quite a few incidents recently."

Sereen Alnajjar, 30, who lives around the corner with her husband and young children, said: "I left the house at around 8am and the street was quiet and then I came back a bit after 9am and there were officers everywhere and a lot going on. There were three or four ambulances.

"It was quite scary.

"Since we've moved here we've seen officers coming up to the area quite a lot and one time they stopped to search someone's bag.

"It's worrying as my children play on the grass there."

Several others told how they heard screaming and shouting and saw a rush out of a house covered in blood and fall on the grass where passersby ran to her aid.

One woman who stepped in to help but did not want to be named to talk in detail about the distressing ordeal said: "I just went over to make sure she was breathing and help until the ambulance arrive.

"As soon as I saw it was a stabbing I wanted to get out of the situation."

Officers moved to reassure residents this afternoon by telling them it was an isolated incident involving a specific household and it was not a random attacker.

It is thought the suspected attacker has now been arrested but this has not been confirmed.

Sussex Police said officers were investigating a domestic incident but have not responded to requests for further information.