Two men collapsed in the street after being stabbed outside a city centre bar.
Police and paramedics were called to the scene outside Yates’ Wine Lodge, near to Queen Square bus station at around 7.35pm on Friday, June 17. A Deliveroo rider, who witnessed what happened, told the ECHO a fight broke out in the street before the stabbing.
He said the knifeman ran away after the incident as staff from Yates' Wine Lodge rushed to help the two men who had collapsed on the ground. The victims were taken to hospital to be treated for stab wounds.
READ MORE: Cocaine kingpin brought down by Conor McGregor mural on wall
The suspect is reported to have run off on foot in the direction of Lime Street station. Another eyewitness, who was also doing deliveries in the area at the time, described the horrifying moment he saw a man take the cover off a "big knife" which he used to stab the two victims.
The delivery rider said one man collapsed outside Yates' Wine Lodge, while the other stumbled around the corner and collapsed near the bus station. He said a crowd of people rushed to help the victims and used paper towels to try and stem the bleeding until paramedics arrived.
The delivery rider told the ECHO: "I'm a little bit scared because I'm working deliveries, I'm always outside."
Smashed glass and a pile of discarded belongings were seen inside the police cordon as detectives put down evidence markers outside Yates' Wine Lodge. In an update on Saturday, police said the two men who were injured in the attack remained in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
Merseyside Police also released CCTV images of a man they want to speak to in relation to the incident. Officers said the city centre would have been extremely busy at the time of the incident on Friday as they appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
Detective Inspector Chris Saidi said: “Our officers have been working to find the person responsible for an appalling incident last night which has left two men hospitalised. If you recognise the man pictured then please get in touch as we believe he may have information that could prove vital to our ongoing enquiries.
“We believe this to be a targeted attack and we would like to reassure anyone planning on heading into Liverpool City Centre this evening to enjoy a Saturday night out that there is no wider threat to the community.
“Liverpool is one of the safest cities in the UK – it has been awarded Purple Flag status for over a decade and you are far more likely to enjoy a safe and enjoyable time in our City Centre than witness or experience appalling incidents such as this.
“If you have any information on the incident in Queen’s Square [on Friday], please come forward and help remove dangerous weapons and those who use them from our streets. Whether you let us know directly, or anonymously, through Crimestoppers, please contact us and we will take action.”
If you recognise the man pictured or have any information about this incident, please DM Merseyside Police's social media desk on Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ quoting reference 22000361428.
You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form here. Anyone with any footage, can upload this to be viewed by police via the following link to the NICE website: https://unitedkingdom1cpp-portal.digital-policing.co.uk/merseyside/appeal/stabbing-at-queens-square
