THREE youngsters have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was stabbed in the early hours of Friday morning.

At around 4.40am on January 3, a man in his 30s was allegedly stabbed outside the Victoria Shopping Centre in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

Police investigating said officers located the man with injuries including cuts to his face, back as well as to his leg.

Two teenage boys, 15 and 16, were stopped and arrested on Skipton Road at around 5.20am, while a third boy, 13, was arrested shortly after.

North Yorkshire Police said they had since stepped up patrols in the area following the alleged attempted murder.

Superintendent Steve Thomas, Harrogate Commander, said: "This is clearly an extremely serious incident, and residents will naturally feel concerned about what has happened.

"However, incidents like this are very rare in our town.

"Thanks to a fast response local officers, three suspects have been arrested, and a police investigation is well underway.

"You can expect to see increased patrols in the town centre in the coming days - officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team will be in the area to provide extra reassurance to residents and businesses.

"Please do speak to them if you have any concerns.

"It goes without saying that the carrying of knives and other weapons is unacceptable and these additional patrols will be using appropriate stop and search powers to ensure anyone found in possession of weapons is arrested and put before the courts"

All three boys remain in custody at this time, while enquiries into the incident continue.

Anyone with any information about the incident or anyone who witnessed the attack should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference 12200001239.