Nine held after knife attack on two men

There is a large police presence and cordon at Easton Way

Nine people have been arrested following a knife attack in Easton that left two people injured, one seriously, police have said.

A cordon remains in place following the assault near Rawnsley Park, Bristol, at about 04:40 BST.

Officers said two men in their 20s had been taken to hospital with knife wounds, with one in a serious condition.

Nine people had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remained in police custody, Avon and Somerset Police said.

Forensics officers are at the scene on Easton Way

Officers believe the victims and suspects are known to each other.

Easton Way is closed between the junction with Stapleton Road and Pennywell Road.

There is also no access to Easton Way from Old Market.

Police are seeking witnesses from the Stapleton Road and Rawnsley Park area between 04:15 and 05:00.

Neighbourhood Policing Ch Insp Scott Hill said: "This is a significant incident and I am conscious there have been a number of similar incidents of this nature over the past few months.

"I also understand there is a great deal of concern among the community around knife crime.

"We remain dedicated to reducing serious violence and knife crime, especially among young people," said Ch Insp Hill.

There is also a police presence at Rawnsley House

A number of lives have been lost to knife crime in Bristol over the years, and there have been numerous non-fatal attacks in the city over the past year.

In 2023, there was an incident involving a knife on average more than once a week, Avon and Somerset Police figures suggest.

Two teenagers, Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15, died from stab wounds when they were attacked by a number of people in Ilminster Avenue in Knowle West in January.

Since then, there has been growing concerns about the amount of knife crime in east Bristol.

Hubert Brown, 61, from Easton, died from a stab wound when he was attacked in St Pauls in October 2023.

In March, two men were injured in Riverside Park in Easton.

A 30-year-old man also died in March after he was stabbed in St Pauls.

In February, 16-year-old Darrian Williams was fatally stabbed in Rawnsley Park, Easton.

And in May, a teenager was taken to hospital with stab wounds after police were called to a bus stop on Stapleton Road.

Rawnsley Park has been cordoned off

News outlets and other organisations in Bristol signed an open letter in March calling for an end to "the scourge of knife crime".

"Earlier this year, we launched a proactive operation targeting serious violence and knife crime," said Ch Insp Scott Hill.

"We are working closely with partners to identify and tackle the root causes."