Two boys were stabbed and slashed in a disturbing evening of knife crime on Merseyside last night.
The victims were aged 17 and, shockingly, 12, as thugs carrying blades brought violence to the streets of the city.
The first incident happened at a child's eighth birthday party in Bootle when knifemen ambushed a gathering of youngsters, and stabbed a 12-year-old boy on a bouncy castle.
The child was cornered on the inflatable as he tried to escape, and first attacked with punches and kicks before a knife was used to stab his leg three times.
Up to 14 other youngsters were at the party and looked on in horror as two thugs stormed the back garden on Southport Road and targeted the boy.
He is set to undergo surgery to his wounds and his family said he was likely to remain in hospital for a few days.
Detectives are hunting the knifemen who calmly walked away from the scene at about 2.30pm, yesterday.
Four hours later, another serious attack took place outside a fast-food outlet in Walton Vale, this time a 17-year-old boy the victim.
Police rushed to the scene close to Ranchers Chicken at 6.15pm where they found the teenager with a slash wound to his arm.
Part of the area was sealed off, but the boy, who is not currently cooperating with police enquiries, suffered non life-threatening injuries.
Despite the boy choosing not to make a formal complaint, the severity of the assault, involving a knife, means police will probe the attack regardless.
Over the last 10 years, cases of serious crimes involving a knife have soared - and the number of people being killed and injured is also on the rise.
Last year, it was reported how figures for knife crime nationally hit a record high, with Merseyside seeing a doubling in the last five years.
The spate of the use of blades has prompted campaigns like the No More Knives drive and the Daniel Fox Foundation, a 29-year-old man killed in a knife tragedy in St Helens.
