"He's a good kid... he's lucky to be alive": Dad of boy, 16, stabbed in chest at Arndale says he was set upon by gang of strangers before 'all hell broke loose'

29.01.2022 - 17:31 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

The father of a teenage boy stabbed in chest at the Arndale Centre says his son is 'lucky to be alive' after being set upon by a gang of strangers.

Emergency services were called to the shopping centre in Manchester city centre on Friday evening (January 28).

Police officers were seen guarding a cordon inside the Next store.

Witnesses reported seeing crowds of teenagers, before screams were heard.

A boy, now confirmed as being 16-years-old, was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Fortunately, they are not believed to be life-threatening.

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The victim's horrified father has now spoken.

He told the Manchester Evening News his son was inside the Arndale with his friends when he was approached by a 'random' girl at about 7pm.

"They were just going for a bite to eat and to do shop shopping," he said.

"A girl asked for directions to a shop and he pointed it out. She went and brought all these lads over. There were about 20 of them.

"They asked if he was being cheeky and he said he had not done anything wrong. It all escalated from there.

"One of them kicked him in the neck then all hell broke loose.

"They went into Next and these other lads ran through the security and set about them again, throwing bottles.

"They cornered them and this lad ran over and stabbed him in the chest."

The man said he received a phone call informing that his son had been stabbed shortly before 7.30pm.

"It was horrendous," he said.

"That phone call comes and it's the worst experience of your life.

"The doctor said a millimetre either way and it would've hit an artery and we'd have been having a different conversation.

"He's lucky to be alive."

The man said