The family of a teenager who was mauled in a terrifying street attack have told of their horror as they watched him collapse in a pool of his own blood.
Dylan Shaw was hit with a kitchen knife and stabbed in the back of the head in a brutal Bank Holiday weekend incident in Stoke.
The 17-year-old was rushed to hospital where the stab wound was stitched up following the assault at 10pm on Sunday.
Now the apprentice bricklayer's shattered ankle is being treated, reports Stoke on Trent Live .
Armed police descended on the scene of the crime on Sunday evening and recovered a knife following a search.
An investigation has been launched but no arrests have yet been made.
Dylan's stepdad Adrian Bodden said he was attacked by seven youths as part of a long running feud.
The 38-year-old said l : "We heard a commotion outside. These lads had been chasing my stepson, there were about seven of them and he was on his own. I looked out and I saw Dylan limping and then he got to the middle of the road and collapsed.
"We went outside into the street and he was just lying there covered in blood. He'd been stabbed in the head with a knife and they'd hit his leg with a machete so that the blade was stuck in the bone. His leg had snapped.
"The ambulance rushed him to Royal Stoke. He's still there now. He's really shaken up.
"He's had stitches to his head wound and he needs an operation on his ankle to pin it back together.
"There's been a feud for some time and Dylan's been threatened. It's been boiling up to this for some time.
"It looks like he'll be in hospital for some time and he's not going to be able to do his apprenticeship. We don't even know if he'll be able to walk properly ever again."
Just hours after the attack the windows of the family's house were smashed and their car battered.
"The police have been to interview Dylan in hospital. Apparently they need more witnesses to come forward although he knows who did it," Adrian added.
"It's scary that these youths are carrying knives, it could have been a lot worse.
"We just want justice for Dylan and would ask that any witnesses come forward so the lads who have done this can be arrested."
Police confirmed they were called to reports of a machete attack, but later recovered what is believe to be a kitchen knife.
A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "We were called to a disturbance in Festing Street, Hanley. On arrival we were told someone had what was believed to be a wound from a bladed article.
"It was described as a machete so we deployed armed police officers. We recovered what has been described as a kitchen knife and we believed it was the weapon involved.
"A man was injured and has been taken to hospital. The investigation continues and no one has been arrested."
