'Petrified' eyewitness describes horror moment he realised man had been slashed in Granton

An eyewitness has described the horrifying moment he saw blood splattered across his stairwell and realised someone had been slashed following an ‘altercation’ in Granton earlier today.

The scene in Granton this morning (Photo: Chris Pickup)

The witness, who wished to stay anonymous, also said he was threatened with a knife by the attacker a few weeks ago.

Officers had been called to the Granton Crescent Park area of Edinburgh just after 11am to what they described as an “altercation” between two men.

A 19-year-old man was taken to hospital following the incident with a “serious injury” which is not believed to be life threatening.

The scene in Granton this morning (Photo: Chris Pickup)

The witness told the Evening News: “They were walking down the other side of the road when I heard them shouting.

“They appeared to be pulling something out of the backpack and then I saw the guy who did it run towards the other guy.

“I saw the victim running along the pavement and into my block and he kicked the door in to get inside.

“It wasn’t until I took my dog out that I saw the blood on the stairs. Someone was washing it off the stairs and you can still see blood on the stairs.”

According to the witness, he himself was threatened by the same attacker earlier this year while walking his dog.

Luckily there were no injuries that day, but it has left the witness scared to leave his flat.

He said: “I am petrified to take the dog out on my own. I am watching when I go out and don’t go out normal times I would be so he doesn’t know when I go out and even if I do go out I look behind the back door and behind me.

“I don’t know what is going to happen next. We have got the cops here constantly all the time, two or three times a week. They just don’t want to do anything.”

A spokesman for Police Scotland said this morning: “Police in Edinburgh are investigating an altercation, which is currently believed to have taken place in the Granton Crescent Park area around 11am on Monday 22 July.

"A 19-year-old man has been taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with a serious injury, which is not thought to be life-threatening.

"Officers remain in the area and are currently following a positive line of enquiry in connection with this."