Man arrested after two children stabbed in Havant

A cordon has been put in place at the scene of the attack

A man has been arrested after two children were seriously injured in a stabbing in Hampshire.

The boys, aged 12 and 13, were assaulted in Havant just before 15:00 BST and are being treated in hospital.

Police said the 12-year-old's condition was life-threatening. The other boy is said to be serious, but stable.

A 43-year-old man of no fixed address was arrested at the scene of the stabbings, near the junction of Southleigh Road and Eastleigh Road.

The man is currently in custody. No-one else is being sought for the attack.

'Early stages'

Officers were called to the area by a member of the public who reported a serious assault involving a weapon.

The children, who are from the local area, are being treated for injuries believed to have been caused by a knife.

The 13-year-old was taken to the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, and the 12-year-old to Southampton General Hospital.

Hampshire Police said it was in the "very early stages" of the investigation and was "piecing together exactly what has happened".

It described the stabbings as an "isolated incident".

Ch Insp Patrick Holdaway said: "My thoughts go out to the children who have been hurt and their families.

"We're providing assistance to them at the current time and both children are being treated in hospital for their injuries.

"Our inquiries indicate that a school in the local area had an inset day, so there were not large groups of parents and children in the area when the assault happened."

A cordon will remain in place overnight to preserve evidence and there is a road closure at the Horndean Road end of Southleigh Road to allow police vehicles access to the area.

Officers are appealing for witnesses and said there would be patrols across the weekend.