A BUSINESS owner was repeatedly stabbed with a knife following an argument in a shop doorway.

Horrified shoppers and workers described seeing a man walking down the street covered in blood following the incident yesterday morning.

The 28-year-old victim was stabbed four times, twice in the arm and twice in the shoulder, and was found collapsed in the shop he manages Cash For Clothes, in New Chapel Street, Mill Hill.

The victim named locally as Matt was taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital for treatment.

Police described his injuries as serious but not life-threatening.

A 38-year-old man from Blackburn was arrested later on suspicion of wounding. He was being quizzed by officers last night.

One shop worker said he heard screams in the street at around 9.30am.

When he left the store to see what was going on, he saw two men fighting in front of a shocked woman pedestrian who was pushing a pram.

The manager said: “I heard somebody shouting ‘help, help’.

“I went out and there was a woman watching and panicking.

“The incident happened in the doorway. There had been an argument near the Post Office.

“I saw blood everywhere. I pushed Matt into the shop and pushed the other guy away.

“He went off to Parkinson Street.

“Both of them are my regular customers. That is why I stopped it otherwise I would not get involved.”

Another worker said people living and working in the Mill Hill area had been left feeling ‘anxious’ and ‘uneasy’ as a result of the attack.

She said: “I heard there had been a bit of an argument and someone had been stabbed.

“I had been out to do a delivery and I could hear shouting.

“Then I saw a guy with blood on his head. He was shouting obscenities.

“There was a lot of shouting going on and it all happened pretty quickly.

“I only know the victim to say hello to, but he has been there a while.

“You just do not expect it so early in the morning. I have never known anything like this happen here before.

“It is quite shocking.

“Mill Hill has quite a lot of young families and people who have lived here for years and years and you just do not expect it.”

An employee at another shop said police had been carrying out inquiries and he had handed over CCTV.

He said: “I heard that a lad had been stabbed quite severely.

“The guys were arguing outside and it must have kicked off.”

Det Insp Mark Vaughton, from Blackburn CID, said he would be speaking with the victim yesterday.

He said: “We got a call to reports of a man covered in blood walking down Parkinson Street.

“As we were responding to that, we attended the clothes shop where we found a 28-year-old man with four suspected stab wounds to his body.

“We are still trying to get to the bottom of the incident.

“I would appeal for any witnesses to contact police.”

Anybody with information should call 101 quoting log reference LC-2014-0228-0301 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.