Shortly after 4:30pm on Tuesday 1 September 2020, police were called to reports of a stabbing in a woodland area off of The Fairway in Offerton.
Enquiries have established that a group of individuals had been involved in an altercation.
Emergency services attended and a 16-year-old boy was taken to hospital with minor injuries and has since been discharged.
A 21-year-old man was taken to hospital with serious injuries where he remains in a stable condition, and a third man was also taken to hospital with serious injuries where he remains in a critical condition.
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault and a 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon. They both remain in custody for questioning.
Superintendent Leon Jacobs said: “Three people have been taken to hospital as a result of these stabbings, with one man in a critical condition.
“I would like to stress to the community that this kind of violent behaviour will not be tolerated and although we currently have two people in custody, our investigation remains very much ongoing to establish the full circumstances behind this incident.
“Residents will see an increased police presence in the area as detectives carry out their enquiries. If you have any concerns at all, please feel free to speak to our officers.
“This woodland is a popular location for dog walkers and this incident occurred in broad daylight, so I am confident there may be a number of witnesses who have valuable information. I would urge anyone who was in the area at the time and may have seen or heard anything suspicious, to please contact police as a matter of urgency. Your information could be crucial in helping us to complete our enquiries.”
Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 9629, quoting incident number 1969 of 01/09/2020.
Reports can also be made anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
