[ad_1]
Police have declared a major incident in the city center of Birmingham, England, after ‘multiple stabbings’.
The incidents took place around Hurst Street, the city’s ‘gay village’, and in the Snow Hill area.
West Midlands Police first had reports of stabbings in the city center at 12.30am this morning (Sunday 6 September).
They set up a cordon at the junction of Hurst Street and Bromsgrove Street – an area which has long been at the heart of the LGBT+ neighborhood with a number of LGBT+ bars.
Meanwhile officers also put up a forensic tent in Barwick Street in Snow Hill, around 10 minutes walk away on the other side of the city center.
The police said that nobody had reported gunshots to them, although one witness claimed to hear shooting.
Moreover, the witness also suggested she saw fights between ‘groups of boys’ and heard ‘racial’ slurs.
While the area is popular for LGBT+ nightlife, it adjoins an area which attracts a mixed nightlife crowd. ‘Clubland’, Chinatown and the city’s theatre district are all nearby.
‘Major incident’
In a statement West Midlands Police said:
‘We are aware of a number of injured people, but at the moment we are not in a position to say how many or how serious.
‘However, all emergency services are working together at the scene, and making sure that those who are injured receive medical care.
‘This has been declared a major incident.
‘Work is still going on to establish what has happened and could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything.
‘At this stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.’
They have asked people to stay away from the area.
More follows.
[ad_2]
Source link
