A man has been critically injured after he was stabbed multiple times while out walking his dog in Christchurch this morning.
Emergency services were called to an incident on Pages Rd, between Portchester and Farnborough Sts, about 6.20am on Monday.
A mobile police unit is now at Bexley Park as police continue their manhunt for the offender.
“This is a relatively busy road, and it’s possible someone witnessed this event or captured it on dashcam.”
Residents said dog walkers are usually out walking around the time of morning when the assault occurred.
”There’s a dog park there, a playground - it’s a very popular place,” one said.
Warren and Andria Stent live near the park, and said the news of the random assault was particularly concerning given Andria goes for walks around the area regularly.
”We’ve always found this to be a particularly safe area,” said Warren.
”It’s reasonably busy at the park, but apart from traffic noise we never have any trouble.
"People will often walk their dogs up and down the road at all hours of the day."
The cordon continues to cover the same stretch of road and the park’s entrance.
Traffic is continuing to be diverted.
Bexley Park includes a BMX club, a Go Kart track and soccer fields.
The Terry Conley Sports Fields, a section of the park where the soccer fields and clubhouses are located, has been taped off by police and a vehicle is guarding the cordon.
Shortly after 8am, two police officers could be seen walking through the soccer field.
One staff member told The Herald a dog handler was also at the park.
Police are interested in hearing from anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in this area overnight, in particular from 4am on Monday.
