‘a large crowd was preventing ambulance crews from entering the house’

Crowds of young people hampered paramedics in their efforts to reach the stricken stab victims, a letter from police reveals.

As emergency service crews rushed to the house, numerous party guests spilled from the property, blocking the driveway and front door.

Quick-thinking staff from AKON Security, a firm providing door-staff at city centre nightspots, had arrived at the scene to help disperse the crowds.

In a letter of thanks to the company, Insp Gordon Etheridge paid tribute to their actions.

He wrote: “When patrols arrived there was a large crowd who were preventing ambulance crews from entering the house to carry out first aid on the two victims, one of whom received life threatening injuries.

“The scene was very dark with no street lighting and many in the crowd, while not openly hostile, were not cooperating with police.”

He commends AKON operations manager Avni Krasniqi, who directed officers to the scene and looked after their squad cars. Mr Krasniqi also helped in diverting passers-by away from the scene, defusing any potential escalation in hostilities, Insp Etheridge adds.

AKON manager Oli Nonnis told the Gazette around 150 young people were gathered in the street outside the house.

He described the crowd as “loitering” and said many were being “deliberately awkward”.

A woman living opposite, who asked not to be named, said cars had started arriving outside the party house from around 11.45pm.

“There must have been up to 300 people hanging around in the street over the course of the night,” she said. “The cars were back-to-back up the road. They were just hanging around by the cars, many with music on.

“It would have been very intimidating for some residents.”