Two men were taken to hospital suffering from stab wounds after they were involved in knife attack in broad daylight in the centre of Dartmouth on Wednesday night.

They both suffered puncture wounds to their backs and legs in the incident in Lake Street just before 8pm.

Less than five hours later two men were back on the streets of Dartmouth – where they were both arrested for possession of drugs.

Both men – who are aged 25 and 28 years and live in the town – were due to be questioned by police yesterday morning.

But a police spokesman said both men had 'failed to engage' with the police over how and why the alleged attacks had taken place.

Police are also investigating whether a third person was involved in the alleged knife incident.

One resident, who found up to 20 people crowded around one of the injured men in Victoria Road, said: 'One man had blood on his back and was shouting about someone going around armed with two steak knives.

'Then another came around the corner from Lake Street shouting that someone had stabbed him.'

Police closed the entrance to Lake Street for a short while as they began investigating the stabbings.

Around seven police cars and two ambulances were called to the scene as shocked residents and visitors looked on.

The two injured men were taken to Torbay Hospital where they were treated before being released the same evening.

Both had been warned by police not to return to Dartmouth.

But later, the two men were spotted in Victoria Road where they were arrested at 12.20am on suspicion of possessing class C prescription drugs with intent to supply.

Town councillor Hayley Rundle witnessed the aftermath of the incident from her home in Victoria Road.

She said: 'This was 7.30pm at night and I am totally shocked that it could happen. It needs to be stamped on now.

'I am completely and utterly shocked that there could be people wandering around the town at that time or any time with weapons that could do that. It is really scary.

'In all the years I have lived here, I have never known anything like this.

'The police were fantastic in their response and so were the ambulance people.'