TWO men were injured in a suspected machete attack in Weymouth.

Both men were rushed to hospital with severe wounds following the violent incident in Littlemoor.

Weymouth Police confirmed the men were found with deep cuts within minutes of each other at separate addresses following the incident.

Detective Constable Ian Frizzle said one of the men, aged 27, from Littlemoor, had sustained serious injuries to his arm and hand.

He added that the man underwent an operation at Dorset County Hospital, where he is still being treated.

The other man, aged 40, from Chickerell, had sustained serious cut wounds to his head and was also taken to hospital for treatment but was later discharged.

DC Frizzle said the men were found at two addresses in Littlemoor within four minutes of each other shortly after 1.30am on Monday.

Officers were called to both addresses by the ambulance service after reports that the men had serious cut injuries.

DC Frizzle said officers first attended a flat in Beverley Road at 1.41am, at which they found the injured 27-year-old, before being called to Merredin Close, where the 40-year-old man was found, at 1.45am.

Officers seized several knives from a flat in Beverley Road which are currently being examined as part of an ongoing investigation.

DC Frizzle described the seized knives as ‘not normal kitchen knives’ and of a type that are of interest to the police.

He added: “I am keen to establish how these two men sustained what were serious cut injuries – one of the men being operated on in hospital where he is still being treated.

“We have carried out house-to-house inquiries in the Littlemoor area of Weymouth in order to try and establish how the two men came by their injuries.

“I am interested in any information – no matter how unimportant or irrelevant people may believe it to be – and all calls will be treated in the strictest confidence.”

He added: “Someone somewhere – perhaps several people – know, or suspect that they know, how these two men came by their injuries and I would appeal to them to look to their consciences and come forward as soon as possible.”

A resident of the Beverley Road flats, who did not want to be named, said: “I came out to go to the shops in the morning and saw all the forensics downstairs.

“When it’s right on your doorstep it’s horrible There’s no need for it.

“I am going to sit out my tenancy and apply to move because you don’t know what’s going to happen next do you?”

“There’s blood on the door and it’s disgusting.”

Another Littlemoor resident said: “I believe there was a machete involved. There was lots of blood everywhere and it seems one of the guys was very badly injured.”

A spokesman for Weymouth paramedics confirmed the men were treated for injuries thought to have been caused by a bladed instrument of some description.

Weymouth paramedic James Ryan said two ambulances responded to the call and confirmed that the 40-year-old man had serious head injuries.

Mr Ryan added: “The man’s injuries were serious but not thought to be life threatening but he had suffered severe blood loss. The police assisted the ambulance crew by driving the ambulance to Dorset County Hospital while the paramedics stayed in the back working on the patient.”

Mr Ryan said the ambulance service attended to the 27-year-old male minutes later at another address and that his injuries were not thought to be life threatening.

The 27-year-old man was arrested and remains under police supervision in hospital. Police confirmed the 40-year-old had also been arrested by police but was later bailed.

Anyone with information should contact Weymouth CID on 01305 222222.

Coun Mark Tewkesbury said the incident in Beverley Road did not show what all of Littlemoor is like.

He said that a minority of people had contributed to giving he area a bad name.

He said: “It’s certainly not reflective of what’s going on in Littlemoor as over the last few years we’ve been working hard to reduce anti-social behaviour and the figures are down.

“It does seem to be isolated areas so it’s certainly not reflective of the whole of Littlemoor.