Police are appealing for information after two men were stabbed in Martins Corner last night.

Officers and ambulance crews were called at about 7.30pm to Wood Lane, Dagenham, following reports of a young man with a knife arguing with a girl.

A 24-year-old man with stab wounds was found at the scene and taken to a south London hospital.

A second stabbed man, 25, was found in nearby Hobart Lane and rushed to a hospital in east London where he was arrested and remains.

Both men suffered injuries but were not treated as life-threatening.

A knife was also recovered from the scene and will be sent for forensic tests.

A 50-year-old care worker who lives in Hobart Road but asked not to be named saw the weapon while walking back from the shops.

“It was a big one,” she told the Post. “It’s awful to think it could have happened to anyone.

“We need more police on the street round here.”

Retired disability worker Ronald Butler, 66, of Wood Lane inists the area is getting worse.

“I heard screaming and shouting in the street, but you hear that every night, people don’t take any notice.

“I only realised it was something serious when I saw the police, who must have been there most of the night.”

However Rev David Horncastle, mister at Wood Lane Baptist Church believes Martins Corner has generally become a safer place over the last few years.

He said: “It was really quite a shock to hear about the stabbing, because it’s been so quiet here for a while now.

“A few years ago things were quite bad and we wouldn’t have been surprised, but things had started to calm down.

“The PCSOs [Police community support officers] have done some good work because it used to be a no-go area.”

Anyone with any information should call police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.