Police continue to investigate incident in Stratford on Monday involving knife as it remains unclear how man was injured

POLICE are still investigating the circumstances of how a man was left with a superficial leg injury on Monday afternoon.

Initially there had been widespread alarm after the incident, which happened on Brunel Way near Stratford train station, which was said to have involved a knife. Emergency services descended on the area en masse at around 3.15pm.

At the time, police confirmed: “A man in his 20s received a suspected stab wound to his thigh and has been taken to hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.”

While it remains unclear what the circumstances were, on Tuesday, following speculation on social media and an outpouring of shock over a presumed knife crime, chief inspector Simon Ryan said: “I would like to reassure you that we’ve started a comprehensive investigation and although it’s in its early stages, I can confirm there wasn’t any wider risk to public safety.

“We’re doing everything we can to piece together exactly what happened, and we are remaining open-minded about how the man suffered his injury.

“As part of our investigation, we’ll have officers in the area around the train station this afternoon conducting reassurance patrols.”

Regardless of the circumstances of this particular event, residents living opposite the station say there is an escalating problem with anti-social behaviour on their doorstep.

It is particularly worrying for elderly and vulnerable residents who live in retirement apartments overlooking Brunel Way, where ambulance staff tended to the injured man.

Robert Vernon, 74, who lives in Rosalind Court, said he heard ambulance and police car sirens but “thought nothing of it at the time”, and that such incidents were “the tip of the iceberg” for them as they often see groups of suspected drug users gathering in the little park at Gresley Close, and are kept awake at night by the screaming exhausts of joy riders.

Last week, Mr Vernon said, a car came along Alcester Road and around the corner into Brunel Way so fast, the driver clipped the kerb and smashed into the wall of Rosalind Court.

The demolished wall is in the car park at the main entrance of the retirement block, where residents come in and out, many on walking frames or mobility scooters.

Mr Vernon said: “If any of the seniors living in the building had been [in the car park] at the time, they would have been killed. One of our residents, who was walking his dog, was narrowly missed.

“Residents here have been complaining for months and months about cars coming around that corner too fast.

“Late at night we get young kids racing up and down Alcester Road and the noise is deafening - sooner or later a tourist or local is going to be killed.”

Warwickshire Police have asked that anyone in the area around 3-3.30pm on Monday who can help with the investigation to get in touch by calling 101, quoting incident 219 of 10th March.