SUNDAY 11am UPDATE: Second man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after woman was stabbed in city

A 42-year-old man of no fixed address was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He is in police custody.

A 41-year-old man from Portsmouth held yesterday remains in police custody. He was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder

The woman was taken to Queen Alexandra Hospitalin Cosham in a serious condition after the incident but her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Shoppers watched on in horror as the incident occured.

The victim was stabbed in the back of her neck with a large knife outside the bank.

The incident happened at 3.26pm yesterday.

Several police cars were at the scene within minutes.

A 59-year-old man, who was doing his shopping in North End, told The News: ‘We saw this woman outside the bank on the floor with a lot of people around her.

‘A woman working in one of the shops said the woman had been stabbed in the back.

‘When we came back down the road the police were not there, but then they started to turn up.

‘The woman was still on the floor.

‘She had a massive big knife in the top of her neck and they could not move her.

‘It had all been taped off.’

The eyewitness said it was understood the attacker – who was believed to be known by the victim – was seen running in the direction of Kingston Crescent.

The man said the woman – aged in her 30s or 40s – looked ill and visibly distressed.

He said the knife was protruding from the top of the woman’s spine and had a big black handle.

He added: ‘When you hear of somebody being stabbed, you think how is this happening at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon?’

Gary Hale, who works at Cash Generator, across the street from Barclay’s said he ‘felt sick’ after seeing the aftermath of the incident.

He said: ‘I was outside having a cigarette and when I looked over there was a woman with a knife sticking out of her back. It was awful.
‘I went over straight away and another woman was screaming for an ambulance. She looked in shock so I kept talking to her to tell her that she was going to be okay but I could tell she was petrified.’

A spokesperson for South Central Ambulance Service said: ‘We received a call at 3.26pm that a woman had been assaulted in London Road, North End.

‘We sent one rapid response vehicle and one officer to the scene and she was taken to Queen Alexandra Hospital in a serious condition,

‘Her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.’