Three teenagers arrested after boy, 16, stabbed in the Arndale Centre

Three teenagers have been arrested after a 16-year-old boy was stabbed in the Arndale Centre.

Police responded to reports of the attack in the shopping centre in Manchester city centre shortly after 7.20pm last Friday (January 28).

Officers said the victim was knifed during a 'disturbance' between two groups of teenagers.

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He was taken to hospital, but his injuries were 'neither life-changing nor threatening'.

Two other teenagers suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital.

They have since been discharged.

The group believed to be responsible for the attack fled the scene before police arrived.

Police targeted addresses in Newton Heath, Moston and Miles Platting this morning (Friday, February 4) in connection with the stabbing.

Three boys - aged 14, 16 and 17 - were arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault and violent disorder.

They have been taken into custody for questioning.

Dramatic footage showed a crowd of teenagers screaming and shouting at the Arndale around the time of the stabbing.

Images from the scene also showed several police vans and an ambulance outside the shopping centre, while a cordon was in place inside Next.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News,the victim's father said his son was set upon by a gang of strangers and was 'lucky to be alive'.

Chief Inspector Wignall, of GMP's City Centre Neighbourhood team, said: "Extensive enquiries - including assessment of CCTV and mobile phone footage - have been carried out ever since this incident occurred, which has resulted in three arrests relating to last Friday's incident.

"We've seen unacceptable anti-social behaviour in our city centre of late and we are