A SHOP owner was found lying in the street covered in blood after being 'stabbed in the neck, stomach, and back'.

Police were called to Baythorpe Street, in Astley Bridge, just after 12.20pm on Saturday to reports a man had been seen with a knife and another was badly hurt.

An ambulance was also scrambled to the scene.

The victim is understood to be the owner of Aaron Food Store, in nearby Blackburn Road.

He was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries, which police later said were not thought to be life-threatening.

Another man was arrested by police.

The victim was found lying on the pavement outside the shop, where he was said to be bleeding heavily but still conscious.

Store assistant Alexandra Moczo told The Bolton News: "Someone came here, in the shop, and said somebody had stabbed my boss.

"I locked the shop and went outside and saw him on the floor. He was bleeding. He had been stabbed in the neck, stomach and in the back, he was bleeding so much, but he was conscious."

Ms Moczo, who only recently began working in the shop, added: "I'm really worried about him, I hope he is going to be okay.

"It was terrible, I was feeling so bad and I was a little bit scared as well.

"I didn't know what was going to happen to him or if he would die. I was shocked."

A Baythorpe Street resident, who did not wish to be named, also said he had seen the victim before he was taken to hospital by ambulance. He described him as 'hurt' and 'quite bloody'.

Police cordoned off Back Baythorpe Street and two ginnels leading to it off Baythorpe Street itself. A CSI officer arrived at the scene at around 2.15pm.

She put down markers down in Back Baythorpe Street to denote where blood had been found and later moved the cordon back after finding more blood in the ginnel nearest to Blackburn Road.

A resident, who asked not to be named, said the attack was ‘out of the norm’ for the area.

He said: “This is completely out of the ordinary. Police officers in the community will tell you crime figures in this area are next to nothing.

"Police hardly come here, everybody knows everybody, we can leave our doors and windows unlocked. People have lived here for 30 years, we all know each other.

"You don't expect to see a stabbing anywhere but in your own community it comes as a shock, it's scary."

A GMP spokesman said: "At 12.20pm, police received a report of a man with a knife in Baythorpe Street, in Bolton.

"On attendance, they found a male who was injured. One person has been arrested."