Two teenagers has been stabbed in separate Liverpool attacks.
Police first received a report that a 17-year-old boy had been assaulted by a number of males at around 6.40pm on Monday in Williamson Street.
The victim is believed to have walked to Whitechapel, where emergency services were called and took him to hospital with multiple slash wounds.
His condition is currently described as stable.
A second report was received at around 10.30pm that an 18-year-old man had been stabbed in the shoulder outside a McDonald’s in Vauxhall.
The victim did not require hospital treatment for his injuries in the incident, which took place at the Jennifer Avenue retail development.
Both incidents are currently not being treated as connected by detectives.
Chief Inspector Andy Hughes said: “We are in the very early stages of this investigation and officers remain at the scene to establish the circumstances of what happened.
“This was a serious assault which could easily have led to even more serious consequences for the victim, who is thankfully recovering in hospital.
“We are determined to find those responsible and we will always take positive action whenever we receive information on the possession and use of knives and other weapons in the communities of Merseyside.
“If you were in the area of Whitechapel earlier this evening and saw or captured anything, please let us know. The smallest detail could prove vital.
“Knife crime has no place on the streets of Merseyside and we will continue to do everything in our powers to combat it, bring offenders to justice and remove weapons from our streets, so please come forward and tell us what you know.”
If you have any information about this incident, you can call 101 or DM @MerPolCC, quoting log number 776 of 30th December. You can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.