Asylum seeker knifed by mixed-race gang in Britain

James Glover:

A TEENAGE asylum seeker is seriously ill in hospital after being repeatedly knifed by a gang of men in Liverpool.

The 17-year-old was attacked and stabbed in the back, chest and kidneys as he walked in the street in Toxteth.

Today he was recovering in hospital after emergency surgery.

The victim, an Arabic asylum seeker who moved to Britain two years ago, had been to a party and was on his way home when he was attacked at 4am on Saturday.

The teenager was walking along Lodge Lane near the junction with Aspen Grove, when he was surrounded by around seven men who assaulted him.

DCI Nikki Holland, of Merseyside police, said: "One witness said the victim was attacked by a gang of men who were punching him, but in fact they were stabbing him.

"This was a particularly nasty attack and originally we feared the teenager might die."

The men fled, leaving their victim lying seriously injured in the street.

He was taken to Royal Liverpool University hospital, where he is in a stable condition.

Although he has been living in the country for two years, he speaks little English and police have struggled to get any information from him so far.

An interpreter was expected to be taken to the hospital today to help detectives interview the victim about his ordeal.

Police are not treating the attack as racially-motivated, as the offenders were of more than one race.

Forensic officers collected evidence from the scene of the attack and police began visiting nearby homes to speak to residents about the incident.

Extra patrols have also been sent into the area to calm the fears of locals.

One of the attackers is described as black, 19 or 20, slim and between 6ft and 6ft 3in.

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