A family has issued a desperate plea for justice after a teenw as stabbed and hit with a machete.

The brutal and sustained attack came during a terrifying street robbery in the Midlands.

The harrowing incident unfolded in Hanley, Staffordshire, reports our sister title StokeonTrentLive.

Dylan Shaw was rushed to hospital after being stabbed to the back of his head and hit with a machete in a terrifying assault over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The 17-year-old apprentice bricklayer is set to surgery on his shattered ankle following the assault in the Lower Mayer Street area of  Hanley  at around 10pm on Sunday (May 26).

The former Birches Head Academy student has already had a knife wound on the back of his head stitched up.

The incident lead to armed police descending on Festing Street, St John Street and Lower Mayer Street and a knife was recovered following a search.

An investigation has been launched but it understood that no arrests have been made.

Now his stepdad Adrian Bodden says he was set upon by around seven youths as part of long-running feud.

The 38-year-old said: "We heard a commotion outside.

"These lads had been chasing my stepson, there were about seven of them and he was on his own.

"I looked out and I saw Dylan limping and then he got to the middle of the road and collapsed.

"We went outside into the street and he was just lying there covered in blood.

"He'd been stabbed in the head with a knife and they'd hit his leg with a machete so that the blade was stuck in the bone.

"His leg had snapped.

"The ambulance rushed him to Royal Stoke.

"He's still there now.

"He's really shaken up.

"He's had stitches to his head wound and he needs an operation on his ankle to pin it back together.

"The police have been to interview Dylan in hospital.

"Apparently they need more witnesses to come forward although he knows who did it.

"There's been a feud for some time and Dylan's been threatened.

"It's been boiling up to this for some time.

"It looks like he'll be in hospital for some time and he's not going to be able to do his apprenticeship.

"We don't even know if he'll be able to walk properly ever again."

Adrian revealed that after Dylan was taken to hospital the windows of his house were put in and then, hours later, his car was smashed up.

He added: "A couple of hours after this all happed my windows were smashed and then my car was done.

"The police have been to interview Dylan in hospital.


"It's scary that these youths are carrying knives, it could have been a lot worse.

"We just want justice for Dylan and would ask that any witnesses come forward so the lads who have done this can be arrested."

Police yesterday confirmed they were called to reports of a man being attacked with a machete shortly after 10pm.

Officers later recovered what is believed to be a kitchen knife - but could not find the assailant.


A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "We were called to a disturbance in Festing Street, Hanley.

"On arrival we were told someone had what was believed to be a wound from a bladed article.

"It was described as a machete so we deployed armed police officers.

"We recovered what has been described as a kitchen knife and we believed it was the weapon involved.

"A man was injured and has been taken to hospital.

"The investigation continues and no one has been arrested."


Anyone with any information is asked to contact Staffordshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 839 of May 26. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.