Police arrest 39 after man stabbed

Nearly 40 people are being questioned on suspicion of attempted murder after a “minor argument” in a shop ended in a man being chased down and stabbed.

A man in his 30s was left fighting for his life in hospital after the incident in Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, in west London, in the early hours of yesterday.

The Metropolitan Police said the victim was chased by a group of men and women from a nearby shop where the altercation began, while two knives were found close to the scene.

One witness described how they heard someone shout “get him”, before the group took refuge in a nearby flat, and suggested the victim had been stabbed in the chest.

Officers arrested 39 people at a property near the scene after failing to co-operate with police. They were taken into custody at several police stations.

Superintendent Mark Lawrence, said: “What appears to have been a minor argument has resulted in a man sustaining life-threatening injuries. He has been taken to hospital where he continues to receive treatment for his injuries.

“Whilst it is unusual for so many people to be arrested in the early stages of an investigation such as this, due to a lack of co-operation and the necessity of securing essential evidence following a serious assault, this action was appropriate.”