Appeal for witnesses following Luton stabbing as week of action continues

Detectives from Bedfordshire Police are investigating after a man was found with stab wounds in Luton.

Emergency services were called to reports of a man who was found with multiple stab wounds in St George’s Square at around 12.40am on Saturday (13 May).

The victim, a man in his 20s, was taken to hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition.

A police presence will remain in the area whilst investigations are ongoing and provide community reassurance.

Detective Inspector Tom Stean, who leads Bedfordshire Police’s Boson guns and gangs team, said: “This is an extremely violent incident in which the victim remains in very serious condition.

“At this stage I would like to appeal to the community for their help. We know that that area of Luton town centre is extremely busy around this time, so we would ask anyone that witnessed this violent attack or the events leading up to it, to please get in touch.

“We are committed to addressing and tackling knife crime in our county and are calling on the community for their support as we do so.”

This latest appeal comes as the force call for a knife amnesty during a national week of action, Operation Sceptre. People are being urged to ‘bin their blade’ in a campaign that aims to showcase the impact of knife crime and the work being undertaken by the force to tackle it.

Last year, more than 4,100 weapons were handed into the force’s 11 weapons bins located across the county – marking the highest number on record. The county has also seen recorded incidents of knife crime drop by 14 per cent and reports of serious violence involving young people fall by 31 per cent compared to previous years.

Anyone with information can contact the investigation team via beds.police.uk/ro/report or by calling 101 and quoting Operation Manila.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

For more information on how we’re working to tackle knife crime during Operation Sceptre.

If you have concerns about a young person that may be impacted by knife crime, our partners at the Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit offer tailored support to young and vulnerable people affected by knife crime and gang activity.