Air ambulance scrambled to Walsall park after three injured in stabbing attack

Emergency services were called on Monday to an incident near Palfrey Park, on Dale Street in Palfrey. They found three men with potentially serious injuries, who were treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.

One witness said they saw what looked like young men "play fighting" before they reportedly pulled out machetes, and one of them suffered a gash to the neck.

Forensic officers from West Midlands Police were seen analysing a footpath and a park bench near the children's playground.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "We were called at 4.16pm - to reports of a stabbing nearby to Dale Street in Walsall.

"Three ambulances, two paramedic officers, a MERIT trauma doctor and critical care paramedic and the Midland Air Ambulance from Cosford attended the scene.

"Upon arrival we found three men. They were assessed by ambulance staff and had sustained potentially serious injuries.

"They received treatment from ambulance staff at the scene before being conveyed to hospital for further treatment."

The service said three ambulances, two paramedic officers, a MERIT trauma doctor, a critical care paramedic, and the Midland Air Ambulance from Cosford attended the scene.

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: "We were called to Palfrey Park in Walsall to reports of men fighting with machetes shortly after 4pm yesterday.

"Three men aged 28, 26 and 25, were taken to hospital with potentially serious stab injuries."

Sargent Jason Fowler, from Walsall CID, added: "We are in the early stages of our enquiries.

"We are appealing for witnesses or people with information such as mobile phone footage to please contact us via Live Char on our website or by calling 101 quoting crime number 20/393569/23."

Janet Davies, 43, a resident of Palfrey, said: "It's shocking, it's not the worst area in the world, you definitely don't expect something like this to happen near where you live.

"I didn't actually see the attack, but I saw the police cars and the tape when I was walking around yesterday."

Martin Talbot, 32, from Walsall, added: "It's terrible isn't it. There's too much knife crime in the area these days. It's like the first thing people resort to now.

"This area does have a bit of a bad reputation. We are hearing too much of this come out of Walsall honestly."

In March, following an influx of violent knife attacks in the area, a knife bin was placed a short walk away from the entrance of Palfrey Park with the hashtag #saferPalfrey.

The bins were erected after a series of knife attacks plagued the area, with one recent attack leaving 29-year-old Akeem Francis-Kerr dead after being stabbed in a Walsall nightclub on Saturday, March 11.

The Palfrey knife bin became one of the most recent surrender units to be unveiled in the area with more bins opened outside of Aldridge Social Club, in Aldridge and on Sprout Lane, Caldmore.