A 13-year-old boy is in a stable condition in hospital after being stabbed in Manchester city centre, with four teenage boys arrested in connection with the incident.
Police were called to reports of a stabbing on Market Street, outside the Arndale on Withy Grove, at 7pm on Tuesday evening (October 27). Officers swarmed the shopping centre and taped off a lift near the Roller's café, while multiple police vehicles were seen on High Street and Withy Grove, including a forensics van.
Arrests and Investigation
Greater Manchester Police said the boy was found with injuries consistent with knife wounds and was taken to hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.
Three boys - aged 14, 15 and 16 - have been arrested on suspicion of affray and remain in custody for questioning. Another boy, aged 13, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a bladed article.
Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances. The force said there will be an increased police presence in the area as the investigation continues.
Police Response
Superintendent Simon Nasim from GMP's City of Manchester team said: "Firstly my thoughts are with the young boy who was injured and I wish him a quick recovery."
He added: "We are aware of the other incidents in the city centre of this nature, but at this stage they are not thought to be linked."
Nasim said: "Our communities should not be in fear of harm, and our priority is taking effective action with partners against those involved in anti-social behaviour and criminality."
He continued: "Knife crime is understandably a concern amongst our communities, and we have dedicated teams who will be deployed across the city centre to hotspot areas to strengthen our response to violent crime, and provide a reassuring message to our public."
Nasim also said: "We will not tolerate hate and violence in GM, and we will take effective action against those who are causing harm to our vulnerable and young communities. But we cannot tackle it alone. We rely on the cooperation of the public, to report anything that looks suspicious or any incidents to us, and we will be sure to act on it."
Appeal for Information
He urged anyone with information to come forward, including anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has CCTV or mobile phone footage.
Anyone with information is asked to call Greater Manchester Police on 0161 856 1495, or get in touch via the LiveChat function on their website, quoting log 3058 of 28/10/26. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
