A man is in a critical condition tonight after a stabbing in Basingstoke this afternoon.

Five ambulances and the air ambulance were scrambled to St Peter's Road in South Ham this afternoon after reports of a serious assault.

Several police vehicles also descended on the scene and the road has been closed for several hours.

South Central Ambulance Service said they received several 999 calls at around 3.15pm.

Two people were found with stab wounds, with one of them in critical condition.

A man was transferred by road to the major trauma centre at University Hospital Southampton, whilst the female had minor hand/arm injuries and was taken to Basingstoke hospital.

A spokesperson for South Central Ambulance Service said: "We received multiple 999 calls around 15:15 this afternoon all reporting a serious assault on an adult male and female in St Peter’s Road, Basingstoke.

"We sent two rapid response vehicles, three ambulances, and the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance to the incident.

"Following initial treatment at the scene, the male patient was taken in a critical condition by road to the major trauma centre at University Hospital Southampton with the air ambulance team travelling with him.

"The female patient had sustained minor hand/arm injuries and was taken to North Hampshire Hospital, Basingstoke, for further treatment."

St Peter's Road remains closed this evening with police officers unable to say when it will reopen.

Hampshire Constabulary said earlier that the incident was "ongoing" and could not provide further details.

One resident of St Nicholas Court, 68, was sat in the sunshine in her garden, which overlooks where the cordon now is.

She said she saw three people, a woman and two young males “appear all of a sudden”. They were “arguing and shouting”. One man looked injured, she said, and he and the woman went out onto St Peter’s Road, while the other man “went up towards the park”.

She continued: “At first I just thought it was a bit of a fight but then I thought it sounds a bit more serious than that, and obviously it was. 

“It’s very quiet around here so it’s not something you expect at all”.