Birmingham stabbings: Murder probe as police confirm one person has been killed and seven injured

West Midlands police have confirmed that the stabbings have led to a death.

A police statement said: ‘We can now confirm that we’ve launched a murder investigation following the events in Birmingham city centre overnight.

‘A man has tragically died. Another man and a woman have suffered serious injuries and five others have also been injured, although their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

‘We believe the incidents, which took place between 12.30am and 2.20am, are linked and we’re doing all we can to find whoever was responsible.’

Chief Superintendent Steve Graham, who is responsible for policing in Birmingham, said: ‘The events during the early hours of this morning are tragic, shocking and understandably frightening.

‘Please be assured that we are doing absolutely everything we can to find whoever was responsible and try to understand what exactly happened.’

Chief Supt Steve Graham said the stabbings are linked and police are searching for one suspect.

He told reporters officers were called to reports of a stabbing in Constitution Hill, north of the city centre, and the suspect worked north-to-south.

He said: ‘We are still in the early stages of that inquiry but I can say that we are treating all four of those incidents as a linked series.

‘We are searching for one suspect and inquiries to identify and then trace that suspect are ongoing.’

Two people who were critically injured are still being worked upon as a result of the injuries they received as part of that attack.

He added there was ‘absolutely no suggestion’ that guns were involved in the incident, nor that it was linked to terrorism or hate crime.

Police and paramedics were called to reports of a knife attack in the early hours of Sunday, with further stabbings then being reported.

The majority of Birmingham’s Hurst Street has been taped off by police, in an area which had already been closed off to traffic to aid social distancing.

Several yellow police evidence markers can be seen on the ground, some near to broken glass.

Two forensic tents had also been sited in nearby Irving Street, close to the gates of a primary school.

Eye-witnesses reported as many as eight people were injured following the disorder in Birmingham overnight.

One witness told BBC Radio 5 Live that the attack seemed like ‘one group of boys against another group of boys’.

West Midlands Police said there were ‘a number’ of victims, but the severity of their injuries was not immediately known.

The force denied reports of gunshots being fired, and added ‘it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident’.

A witness, Cara, told 5 Live she had heard racial slurs during the incident, adding that it was a ‘multicultural night’ in the clubs near the Arcadian Centre.

She added: ‘They were not just having an argument and then fighting, it was straight into fists being thrown. There was not much talking going on.

‘Drinks were being dropped, bottles that they had obviously bought in the club, rings were falling off so jewellery was going everywhere, clothes were being torn.

‘One of the males actually ended up with his hair being pulled out and left with a bald patch.’

The Arcadian venue, located around five minutes’ walk from Birmingham New Street station, is a hub of restaurants, bars, cafes, clubs and hotels.

Featuring an open air central piazza, it is close to the city’s Chinese Quarter and Gay Village areas.

Police said the response would be ongoing ‘for some time’ and urged people to stay away from the area.

The force added: ‘We are aware of a number of injured people, but at the moment we are not in a position to say how many or how serious.

‘However, all emergency services are working together at the scene, and making sure that those who are injured receive medical care.

‘Work is still going on to establish what has happened, and could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything.’