Police have moved to assure residents that the streets of Dartmouth are still safe following last week's stabbing incident after which two men were taken to hospital.

This week officers were still trying to track down the man thought to have carried out the knife attacks in a manhunt which has been extended to cover the South Devon area.

Det Sgt Mark Smeaton, who is heading the hunt for the 38-year-old man from Dartmouth said the man on the run is 'not considered to be a danger to the public'.

And he assured residents: 'This was a very rare incident for Dartmouth. It was an isolated incident involving people who know each other and clearly have had a dispute with each other.

'Dartmouth is a very, very safe place to live and we will continue to work to maintain that situation.

'We are taking this matter very, very seriously and putting a lot of resources into locating this person and dealing with this matter.'

Residents were left shocked last week after two men were left with stab wounds following a broad daylight attack in the town centre.

The men, aged 25 and 28, were injured in the attack alleged to have take place in Lake Street just before 8pm last Wednesday night.

Up to two dozen people witnessed the aftermaths of the attack in Victoria Road as they crowded around the two injured men before they were taken to Torbay Hospital for treatment.

Both men were released from hospital that same night and were back in Victoria Rod, Dartmouth, at 12.20am on Thursday morning when they were arrested by police and held on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply.

The two men were released on bail that day while the investigation continues.

Meanwhile, police have been to a number of addresses in Dartmouth in their hunt for the alleged attacker.

Police are currently not naming the man they are trying to track down.

But they are asking anyone who may have knowledge of the incident and know the whereabouts of the man to contact them

Det Sgt Smeaton said the two injured men had suffered 'superficial knifed wounds' in the attack.

He also assured people officers had responded quickly to the incident.

He said: 'On the night of the incident there were a lot of police officers around the town immediately. It is not like the town is left isolated.'

And he added: 'We are very grateful to the members of the public who assisted in the early part of this investigation.'