TWO separate knife attacks have left a teenager critically ill and a 25-year-old man with two seven-inch slash marks across his back.

The 19-year-old teen was discovered lying in Empress Street, Accrington with stab wounds to his chest, in the early hours of yesterday.

And in Darwen a man was left with the slash wounds after two muggers attempted to steal his mobile phone in Cloister Drive, Darwen.

Police discovered the teenager after they were called out to reports of a disturbance at 12.30am on Friday.

The 19-year-old was initially taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital but was transferred to Blackpool Victoria Hospital for emergency surgery, where he last night remained in a critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit.

Two Accrington men, aged 19 and 23, have been arrested on suspicion of wounding.

Neighbours, who did not wish to be named, said a loud ongoing row could be heard just before the teenager was found.

One said: “My children started to get scared and so did I the louder it got. I just locked my door and waited for it to blow over.”

Another neighbour said: “I couldn’t make out what the argument was about but they all sounded pretty upset.”

In Darwen, the victim had been texting on his phone in Cloister Drive at 9.30pm Thursday when he was approached by two men from behind.

They demanded that he hand over his mobile and kicked him to the ground but they were unable to steal the phone.

The man felt some pain in his back but walked home.

When he got back he discovered the large cuts.

He was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital for treatment but was not detained.

The muggers are described as 18 to 25 years old approximately 5ft 10ins tall and slim.

Anyone with information about either incident should contact Darwen CID on 01254 353 841 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.