Horrified residents react after woman, 63, stabbed in Bishop’s Waltham home

Emergency services swarmed Oak Road in Bishop’s Waltham this morning after a woman was attacked in a home.

The victim - a 63-year-old who has not been named - was taken to hospital in Southampton and remains in a serious but ‘stable’ condition, police have said.

Meanwhile, officers have arrested a 51-year-old woman on suspicion of wounding with intent. She remains in police custody and is being questioned by detectives.

Now residents living nearby have told of their horror at the attack.

One 40-year-old mother-of-two, who asked not to be named, said: ‘I have lived here for 17 years and I have never ever seen anything like that before.

‘This is the sort of street where you keep you doors open. It’s the place where nothing ever really happens.’

Another 39-year-old woman, who recently moved into the street, added: ‘It’s absolutely shocking. I can’t believe it. It frightens you when you think about something like that happening on your doorstep. You only see or hear about this on the TV, you never think it’ll be someone you know or in your street that it really happens.’

The incident took place shortly before 11.30am today.

Paramedics and trauma specialists from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance team rushed to the woman’s aid after landing on the nearby recreation ground in Hoe Road.

She was later transported by road to Southampton General Hospital’s major trauma unit.

Police cordoned off the road as officers swept the area. Officers are still guarding the home this afternoon where the stabbing took place.

Carol Osborne, 74, has lived in the street for 55 years and only found out about the attack when her husband Oz, 56, came home after walking their dog, Gypsy.

Grandmother-of-five Mrs Osborne said: ‘I have never seen so many emergency services in one place in all my life. There were ambulances and police everywhere.’

Reacting to the stabbing, she added: ‘It was a bit of a shock, I hope it’s just a one-off and nothing to be scared of. I’m sure when the victim woke up this morning they weren’t expecting to be stabbed.’

A spokesman for South Central Ambulance Service said: ‘We were informed by Hampshire police at 11.33am about this incident and sent our consultant pre-hospital care practitioner in a rapid response vehicle, a paramedic team leader in a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance, and the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance and the air ambulance critical care car to this.

‘After treatment at the scene she was taken by road in a potentially serious, but stable, condition to the major trauma centre at University Hospital Southampton.’

Police have not appealed for any witnesses to the attack.