NEIGHBOURS have spoken of their shock after a stab victim was left fighting for his life following an alleged attempted murder in a Southampton street.
Three people have been arrested in connection with an incident at Coleman Street, in the St Mary's area of the city, at around 1pm on Friday.
The victim - a man in his 20s - was rushed to hospital and was later reported to be in a critical condition.
Police officers could be seen scouring vegetation and examining waste bins in the hunt for any discarded items that could prove vital to the investigation.
Residents awoke on Saturday morning to find sections of Coleman Street still sealed off.
Claudiu Gheorghita, who runs a nearby shop, said: "There were 15 police vehicles in the area at one point.
"A lot of things go on around here, especially in the evenings. It's quite scary - you don't know what to expect - and I think it's only going to get worse."
A woman living at James Street told the Daily Echo: "I've just been down the market and one of the traders said a man had been stabbed.
"There are so many police in the area and they've been here all night.
"It's frightening, especially now the nights are drawing in. I definitely won't be going out as it gets dark."
One of her neighbours added: "You don't want that sort of thing happening anywhere and you definitely don't want it happening on your own doorstep, but what can you do?"
Three men aged 18, 19 and 21, all from Southampton, have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
On Saturday police were granted special powers allowing officers to stop and search anyone in a designated area.
Yesterday Police Sergeant Geoff Cole, said: "We are pleased it prevented any further serious violence occurring in the area over the weekend. However, our work on this hasn’t stopped.
"Whilst the powers were in place across the city, officers stopped and searched 31 persons.
"As a result of these searches drugs, weapons and stolen property were recovered and seized. A man was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon whilst a further three people were dealt with by officers via out-of-court disposals."
"We are increasing our patrols in hot spot areas to ensure our communities are kept safe."
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