Northampton park shooting: Mother shocked to witness brutal attack while out with her baby

Police and the air ambulance at the playing fields where a man was attacked in Ecton Brook

The community of Ecton Brook has been left shaken by the shooting and stabbing of a man in the playing fields off Pennycress Place and the A5076 Great Billing Way at around 11.40am.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she was enjoying a normal Sunday morning with around 100 other people when the group of men having balaclavas 'came out of nowhere'.

"Essentially they were just playing football in the park, I had my baby with me and then everyone scattered off everywhere," she told the Chronicle & Echo.

"I think there were two gunshots, they were waving weapons and then ran off. It all happened so quickly."

Police, ambulance and the air ambulance attended the incident and a 28-year-old man was taken to University Hospital Coventry with serious injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening.

The woman added: "It's sad how they can do this, it's bad enough to shoot someone but to stab them too, there were lots of little kids there."

Bipin Patel, who owns the Bipin Brook restaurant and nearby Post Office, said the mood in the pub on Sunday was the total opposite to how it usually is after football matches.

He said everyone was downbeat and shocked by what had happened, while some girls were seen crying as they were so upset.

"You don't expect anything like this to happen, it's frightened everyone, it's shocking, how can this happen," he said.

"One girl said she wasn't going to let her her kid play in football teams if they play there because of it."

An increased police presence remains in the area, including increased patrols to offer reassurance and support to the community, police said.

No arrests have been made yet but police continue to appeal for witnesses to contact them on 101, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Pendlebury, said: “This was a shocking incident to witness and we currently have a team of detectives working on the case, following a number of lines of enquiry in order to track down the offenders.

“Two football matches were taking place at the time of the incident and I am appealing to the players and spectators who would have witnessed what happened, to please get in touch and help us."