POLICE have appealed for witnesses to what appears to have been an attack with a large butcher’s knife on a teenager at a skate park.

Officers attended the park, near Morrisons supermarket, on Whitburn Road, Seaburn, Sunderland, following a report that a 16-year-old boy had suffered a deep cut to his arm.

Initial inquiries suggested he may have fallen over, but witnesses have described a person of a similar age discarding an item, believed to be a meat cleaver, into bushes in the area.

It is thought it may have been the weapon used in the incident.

The teenager received hospital treatment for the arm injury and has since been discharged.

Police are trying to establish exactly what happened and are appealing for other witnesses to come forward.

In particular, they want to trace three girls who saw the meat cleaver being discarded.

Detective Sergeant Dave Wakefield said: "We’re keen to speak to these three girls to find out exactly what they saw and help us with this investigation.

"It’s important we find out what has happened and how he has come about this injury to his arm.

"It’s likely anyone who has been involved in this incident knows each other and we’ll be speaking to those present to find out what has happened.

"There were a lot of people at the skate park at the time and we’ll be liaising with them in due course."

Witnesses to the incident, shortly before 9.30pm on Friday (NOV 11), are asked to contact police on (03456) 043043, extension 69191, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on (0800) 555111.