A teenager has been stabbed after helping a young boy escape from a gang in Bury.

The 16-year-old was walking his dog in Clarence Park, Walmersley Road, Bury at 3.40pm yesterday when he saw a young boy, aged between 10 and 12 years old being pushed and shoved by a gang of four people.

When the victim intervened, one of the offenders attacked him with a knife, cutting through his fleece and T-shirt and piercing his skin.

The victim managed to remove the knife from his attacker's hand and escape before contacting police.

The gang are described as being around 16 years old, 5ft 9ins tall and wearing dark clothing.

Detective Sergeant Darren Collins from Bury CID said: "The victim showed extreme bravery when confronting the gang and thanks to him, the young boy managed to escape.

"Luckily the victim was not seriously hurt but if it wasn’t for his self defence skills, the incident could have been a lot worse. I would always urge people to call police if they see a crime taking place rather than tackle offenders.

"If anyone knows the young boy who was attacked in the park, can I urge them to contact police.”

Anyone with any information should contact police on 0161 856 8213 or independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.