A 12-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of a homophobic assault on two men in Liverpool.
The men, both in their 30s, were walking down Manningham Road in the Anfield area of the city at 9.20pm on Saturday when they were approached by three male youths, Merseyside police said.
The boys made homophobic insults before one of them produced a knife and assaulted the men.
One of the men sustained injuries to his head and neck described as serious but not life-threatening, while the other sustained a minor hand injury.
Both were taken to hospital for treatment and were left incredibly shaken by the incident, police said.
The boy has been held on suspicion of homophobic aggravated assault.
DI Tara Denn said: “This was an appalling and unprovoked attack on two men simply making their way home and we are working tirelessly to locate those responsible.
“Two men have been left with significant injuries tonight and the hate and violence that has been inflicted on them is simply unacceptable and won’t be tolerated on the streets of Merseyside.”
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Merseyside police via Twitter or Facebook.
Alternatively, anyone with information can call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
