Schoolboy shouted ‘mum, someone’s been stabbed’ as man attacked in Woodchurch

Two police cordons remain in place after yesterday's attack on the Wirral estate

15:55, 26 Jun 2026

The police cordon on the The Meadow, with tarpaulin placed over a wheelchair.

It is believed this belongs to the victim(Image: Jamie Greer/Liverpool ECHO)

A 10 year-old boy shouted for his mum after he saw a man being stabbed in broad daylight. Merseyside Police responded to a stabbing on Hoole Road in Woodchurch around 3.40pm on Thursday, June 25.

A man in his 60s suffered stab wounds to his shoulder[1] and rib cage before he was treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to hospital, where his condition is described as serious but stable. Police arrested a 40-year-old man from Noctorum[2] on suspicion of Section 18 assault.

He remains in police custody for questioning today.

Last night, Hoole Road and all of the shops were closed completely from Huddleston Close to Cheverton Close, as well as part of The Meadow.

People in the area told the ECHO the victim was in a wheelchair and is unable to speak[3]. This was reiterated by other residents when the ECHO visited Hoole Road today, Friday, which has since reopened.

There was still a heavy police presence, with four police vans parked up on Hoole Road. A cordon remained in place on a pedestrianised part of The Meadow, where locals claimed the attack took place.

The back of the shops were also taped off, with a police car parked up.

A dog unit was at the scene.

The police cordon at the back of Hoole Road shops(Image: Jamie Greer/Liverpool ECHO)

On The Meadow, tarpaulin had been placed over a wheelchair, which is believed to belong to the victim. It was later taken away on a recovery truck.

A mum, who asked not to be named, said she was visiting the shops on Hoole Road when her 10 year-old son saw the attack. She said: "My lad was sitting over the road with his ice lolly.

"He started shouting, mum, mum, someone's been stabbed. (The victim) can't walk or talk.

He couldn't do anything, he was pointing and holding (his wound)."

She said the attacker headed to the back of the shops after the stabbing, leaving "blood all over" the road. She also said the victim was a popular figure in the local area and believes this was a "totally unprovoked attack".

She said: "Everyone loves him and his sons. Why would anyone do something like this, let alone to him?

He's a good fella. No-one can understand it."

She also said the area was a safe community where people looked out for each other and argued any trouble stemmed from people who live on other estates "coming to the Woodchurch."

The wheelchair being taken away on a recovery truck(Image: Jamie Greer/Liverpool ECHO)

This was reiterated by someone living on The Meadow, who has lived in Woodchurch for decades and asked to be referred to as "Nanny Eye".

She said: "People let their children play out on the street. They wouldn't do that if it wasn't safe.

I like hearing them play. I don't want Woodchurch to be painted in a bad light. There's Woodchurch Pride now and they do a good job."

This refers to the Pride in Place programme, which is seeing up to GBP20m invested into the Woodchurch estate[4] over 10 years.

As part of this, a free street party took place on Saturday, May 30 around Hoole Road to celebrate the future of the Woodchurch estate.

The event featured MMA and boxing sessions, dance performances, live music, bouncy castles, teddy bear's picnic and more.

Other residents disagreed however. One woman said she saw the victim "bleeding from his arm". Her partner said: "I don't feel safe here.

You see groups of youths with masks on a lot. One time they blocked my car and I couldn't get to work."

Another woman said: "Until this happened, I would have said it's getting safer because there's loads more police around. But over the past five years we've had a stabbing, a shooting and that crash with the scrambler bike."

Police vans parked up on Hoole Road(Image: Jamie Greer/Liverpool ECHO)

Police said the cordons will remain in place for most of the day.

Following the attack, Detective Inspector Andy Schofield said: "An investigation is underway after a man suffered a serious injury on Hoole Road as a result of the offender's actions, and is getting the care he needs in hospital.

"Although our officers have made a swift arrest just hours after the assault, we are appealing to anyone who was on Hoole Road at around 3.40pm to get in touch with police.

"At the time of this incident, it would have been busy with people coming home from work or visiting shops in the area so please contact us if you saw what happened.

"Knife crime has no place on our streets and it is vital that those responsible for carrying or using knives are found and brought to justice.

"If you know anything about this incident, or have information about those carrying, storing and using knives in Merseyside, please come forward and we will continue to take action."

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Merseyside Police social media desk Merseyside Police Contact Centre[5] on X and Facebook[6] quoting log 856 of 25 June.

You can also report information via the force's website: https://orlo.uk/rIfPE[7] or call 101.

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/.../give-information...[8].

References

1. ^ suffered stab wounds to his shoulder (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
2. ^ arrested a 40-year-old man from Noctorum (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
3. ^ the victim was in a wheelchair and is unable to speak (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
4. ^ Pride in Place programme, which is seeing up to GBP20m invested into the Woodchurch estate (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
5. ^ Merseyside Police Contact Centre (www.facebook.com)
6. ^ Facebook (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
7. ^ https://orlo.uk/rIfPE (orlo.uk)
8. ^ https://crimestoppers-uk.org/.../give-information... (crimestoppers-uk.org)