Three men have been taken to hospital following an incident in Bootle.
Emergency services were called to the junction of Orrell Road and Park Lane at around 4.55pm on Wednesday to reports of a collision between two vehicles.
One of the cars had left the area by the time they had arrived with enquiries ongoing to establish the details of the vehicles involved.
Three men subsequently attended hospital with two with possible stab wounds while the other’s injuries are believed to have been caused by the road collision.
All three men are currently in a stable condition.
Police are carrying out house-to-house enquiries. CCTV is also being explored in a bid to identify the offenders from what is believed to have been a targeted attack.
Detective Inspector Robbie Moss said: “The investigation is in its early stages and we are still trying to piece together exactly what happened, but we believe this was a targeted attack.
“The victims have been taken to hospital where they are receiving treatment for their injuries.
“We have spoken to some witnesses but would appeal to any others who may have witnessed any part of the incident to come forward.
“This would have been a shocking incident to witness in broad daylight and information from the community may be vital to identifying those responsible and taking them off the streets.
“We will not let incidents like this cause fear in our communities. I can assure you that we will take action on all information given.”
Anyone who has information which could help the police with their inquiries can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.