Traders left to count the cost of stabbing
POLICE SEARCH GOES ON FOR ATTACKER
BUSINESSES have spoken of their shock as they were told they couldn’t open their doors after a man was stabbed twice in the street.
Large sections of Mansfield Road were cordoned off by police after the incident which occurred at about 2am on Saturday.
Police say a man collapsed on the floor of a takeaway after the attack and was drifting in and out of consciousness - officers provided first aid at the scene while the man was unresponsive but breathing. He remains in hospital in a serious condition.
A number of small, independent businesses discovered what had happened hours later when they came to work and were met with a heavy police presence.
Naz Hussain, 42, who has worked in the Londis on Mansfield Road for more than 20 years, said: “We were closed at the time it happened.
“The road was cordoned off up from us and down from us but we were OK. A lot of shops nearby were told they couldn’t open but at about 10am I asked police if I could and they said ‘yes.’
“One of my regular customers told me ‘you’re not going to be able to get to the shop because there’s that much police there.’
“The CID [Crime Investigation Department] came into the shop and spoke to me and asked for the CCTV - they took that from all the shops.
“To be honest. I’ve been here for a little while and just before lockdown there was quite a lot of crimes going on but then it got quiet again.
“There’s a bit of fighting but never usually any knife crime.”
Masood Ahmed, who runs a phone repair shop in Mansfield Road, said: “When I went to open up the next day I could see all the police outside further up the road.
“I have been here for eight years now and there used to be a lot of fighting, but no stabbings - this is the first time something like that has happened here recently.
“The police have been clamping down on it a bit, so there is less trouble - things are improving.”
The owner of VIP Barber on the busy road told the Post: “This is the first time I’ve known something like this to happen - this is a really good area.
“I came to work in the morning and the police said I might have to be closed all day. I managed to open at about 12.30pm which meant I lost a lot of money because Saturdays are a really busy day for us.
“We lost a lot of customers because of it. We don’t have any CCTV of outside, just inside the shop.”
Meanwhile, the owner of Sarangbang Korean Food Cafe said: “We realised what had happened the next day.
“I think the area is safe - we never usually have any problems.”
Detective Sergeant Louise Bradford, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “The victim has stumbled into the shop after suffering two lifethreatening stab wounds, in an attack believed to have occurred further up Mansfield Road.
“Officers quickly provided first aid at the scene to stem the bleeding, but he is still in a critical condition in hospital.
“Our focus is to establish what has happened to the victim before he managed to get to the takeaway for help.
“Officers are in the area working with local residents and businesses to gather information, retrieve vital CCTV footage and provide reassurance to those living and working locally.
“We take knife crime extremely seriously and are committed to stopping those that carry knives and offensive weapons.” The man remains in hospital in a serious condition, where he has already undergone surgery. Anyone who may have information or has any CCTV or dashcam footage is urged to contact the force by calling 101, quoting incident 73 of September 11, or people can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
There’s a bit of fighting but never usually any knife crime.
Naz Hussain