A stabbing victim staggered into a shop and pleaded for help moments after being attacked in the street.

The victim, in his thirties, was walking in Chingford Road, Walthamstow, at around 9pm last night when he was knifed in the side.

And moments later Savas Kose, 41, of the Food Centre in Chingford Road, spotted the injured man entering the shop covered in blood.

He said: “I saw this man come staggering towards me holding the side of his body and shouting for someone to call an ambulance.

“I run inside and phoned 999. I then decided to look at the wound which was at least two inches deep on the side of his body.

“There was blood everywhere and it was running down the side of his body.

“The man then collapsed onto his back but he remained semi-conscious.

“It was lucky that we were open as it was Sunday night and most of the shops were not open or had closed early.”

Mr Kose was with the victim until the ambulance crew arrived, gave him oxygen and took him to hospital.

The victim and his wife are thought to live locally and visit the shops along Chingford Road on a weekly basis.

Mr Kose’s nephew Guvenc Kose, 22, from Palmers Green, helps out at the local store.

He said: "The man comes in here with his wife and is a normal everyday guy. I cannot see why it would happen to someone like him.

“In the past 12 months, crime has got worse in the area.

“We are seeing and hearing about more stabbings that are happening locally and not enough is being done."

Twenty year-old Gintare Zykaite, of Aveling Park Road in Walthamstow, moved to the area six months ago.

She said: “At least once a month police are along Chingford Road because someone has been attacked.

“There is not enough patrols happening and there is no police presence.

“I don’t feel safe and I worry about my boyfriend’s safety because someone could do the same thing to him. You never know, next time it could be myself or a family member.”

Police have taken CCTV footage from the Food Centre.

No arrests have been made.