A 15-YEAR-OLD boy was stabbed in the leg and arm in Pitsea.

Police were called to an address in Great Ranton at about 6.15pm on Saturday by the ambulance service.

The youngster was found with stab wounds to his leg and arm.

He has been taken to hospital for treatment where he remains in a stable condition.

Residents expressed their concerns over the incident and suggested that it was a group of individuals that were involved.

Karen Bandey, who lives nearby in Riffams Drive, in Pitsea, said: “It was very quiet and then all of a sudden I heard a huge amount of police and sirens so I poked by head out the window and saw that the air ambulance had landed in a field off Rushley.

“There was a massive police presence, lots of sirens and police cars in the area but I just observed from a distance.

“It is very surprising that a young boy was stabbed, and there have been lots of talk that it was a gang of people that did it.

“It is usually a very quiet area. It is just full of hard working families who go about their own business so it is very worrying.”

Megan Paul, who lives nearby in Ashfields, was out for a college project when she spotted the emergency services.

The 17-year-old said: “I was photography at college so I was walking to a field to take pictures when I saw police and ambulances.

“I could see someone in the back of an ambulance but I didn’t get too close.

“When I walked around the corner I saw that it was all cordoned off and there was a police officer stood there. An alley was also completely cordoned off and then I found out someone had been stabbed.”

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I couldn’t believe when I found out that a young lad had been stabbed twice. It is just terrible that that would happen.

“I hope he is ok, there are lots of rumours about what happened but we will have to wait and see what it was all about.”

Detectives want to speak to anyone who witnessed the attack, was in the area at the time, or may have any other information about it.

Anyone who does have information is asked to contact Essex Police on 101 quoting incident 861 of 29/04 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.