We are going to find you all, so hand yourselves in

POLICE’S MESSAGE TO TEEN STABBING SUSPECTS

Officers scouring the scene of the street attack Crime Reporter HAND yourself in before we find you.

That’s the message of the detective hunting three teenagers suspected of being behind a slash attack on a Gateshead street.

Police have revealed how the 28-year-old victim was attacked after a group of young strangers approached him and asked him to buy alcohol in the early hours of Saturday.

After an argument broke out the man was slashed across the back with an unknown weapon. Police are still hunting two boys and a girl in connection with the attack, which happened on Flexbury Gardens in the Harlow Green area. All are thought to be aged around 16 or 17.

Det Insp Steve Byrne, of Northumbria Police’s Central CID team, has urged the youths to hand themselves in.

He said: “Those responsible should do the right thing and hand themselves in before we trace you ourselves and bring you in to custody.

“This was a serious assault that left the victim with significant injuries. He did not know those responsible but had been approached by a group of teenagers.

“A disagreement has taken place and that has led to him sustaining a large slash [wound] to his back that required lengthy treatment in hospital.”

Police were called to the disturbance at around 1.45am and found a 28-year-old man with serious injuries.

The victim was taken to hospital but has since been discharged.

A police cordon was put in place in three locations after the incident – Waverley Road, Flexbury Gardens and Harlow Green Bank. The female police want to speak to has been described as being of chubby build, about 5ft 7ins tall and with fair hair tied back in a ponytail. She was wearing a black top and jeans.

One of the males is of slim build, 5ft 8ins tall and has black hair and a round face. He was wearing a light blue top with tracksuit bottoms.

The second male was slim, about 5ft 9ins with fair, mousy-blond hair and was wearing a grey jumper with tracksuit pants.

Anyone with information should call 101, quoting log 82 140919.