A WOMAN is recovering in hospital after she was stabbed in the back by a man who then turned the knife on himself.

The woman, aged 53, was stabbed in Bramley Road, Sharples, at about 2.45pm on Saturday.

She was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital where her condition was initially described as critical but is now "stable".

A man, aged 58, was also taken to hospital with self-inflicted stab wounds to his neck and chest.

He is said to be in a serious but stable condition following surgery.

Police were called to a flat in Bramley Road following reports that a man had stabbed a woman in the street.

Part of the road and adjoining Wrenbury Drive were cordoned off.

It is understood the woman only moved into the address about three weeks ago.

According to reports, neighbours from nearby houses in Bramley Road and Wrenbury Drive tried to intervene to help the woman.

One resident said: “I was driving past and saw a man in the garden with a knife.

“I stopped and saw the man was holding the knife and paramedics were trying to help him but he was refusing to let them treat him."

Dozens of police cars were soon on the scene alongside forensic officers.

Witnesses saw a man being treated on a stretcher by paramedics.

Philip Rutherford, aged 54, a resident of Littlebourne Walk, was in his back garden when he heard sirens.

He said: "It's a horrible thing to happen. This is quite a quiet neighbourhood. The kids play out on the street and all the neighbours are lovely.

"When something like this happens on your doorstep it is scary."

Bramley Road resident, Kelly Eccleshare, aged 18, added: "I was coming back home and was told by police to go by a different road, it was my first day of driving and I come back and all this has happened."

The area was still cordoned off and police were at the scene yesterday afternoon as investigations continued.

A police spokesman confirmed that officers attended the address on Saturday and found a 53-year-old woman with stab wounds to her back and a 58-year-old man with self-inflicted stab wounds to his neck and chest.

Police are waiting to speak with both the woman and man once they are "fit for interview".