A Fourth person has been arrested in connection with a knife attack at a Derby park. A 20-year-old Derby man was arrested this morning, adding to the arrests of two teenagers and a 22-year-old following the assault in Arboretum Park. A 24-year-old man was this morning still in a stable condition at the Royal Derby Hospital after being stabbed once in the chest.
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Two teenagers, both 16, were arrested on Wednesday and are still being questioned by police CID officers.
The assault happened at 5.30pm on Tuesday and Arboretum Park was cordoned off while scenes-of-crime officers investigated.
The park was closed until early Wednesday afternoon.
Inspector Richard Keene, in charge of policing in the area, said: "We would like to remind local residents that this was very much an isolated incident.
"We have put on extra patrols to reassure the public that this type of criminality is not accepted in any shape or form."
Park users expressed their shock.
Zeb Aurand, 60, lives in Loudon Street, close to one of the entrances to the park.
He said: "My wife went out and saw all of the police activity. There were three or four police cars and probably 20 officers.
"She said they were stopping everyone trying to get in to the park and asking them if they had seen anything. It's alarming to hear there has been a stabbing."
Paul Mees, 51, lives in Osmaston Road and walks his dog on the park every day.
He said: "I tried to cycle through the park at 8.30am on Wednesday but the gates were all cordoned off and there were police inside the park.
"It is mad, terrible to hear that someone has been stabbed."
Mick McNaught is the Arboretum park manager for Derby City Council, which owns the park.
He said: "I was here until 11pm on Tuesday night after the police shut the park to do their investigation and I was told I could not open up again until later on Wednesday when all of their work was complete.
"I know the victim. He is a regular park user."
And another park user, who did not want to be named, said he too had been assaulted while he walked there.
The man said: "I was hit around the head by someone carrying a beer can.
"It's the sun and the beer, it sends people mad."
Councillor Fareed Hussain is the Mayor of Derby and also represents Arboretum Ward on Derby City Council.
He said: "It is a very unusual thing to happen and I think it will scare some people and make them uneasy about letting their children play in the park."
And Councillor Gulfraz Nawaz, who also represents Arboretum Ward, said: "I was shocked. This sort of incident does not happen in this part of Derby."
