A gang of about six men viciously attacked a 24-year-old man with baseball bats and knives in front of horrified children in a London park on Friday.

The man was attacked in Nursery Row Park, Walworth in South London at around 5:20 in the afternoon as “distressed” children watched. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he remains.

“I believe the victim was attacked by a group of up to six males armed with baseball bats and knives,” said DS Rob Merrett of Central South CID.

“An investigation is underway, including forensic analysis of the scene and of all available CCTV footage, in addition to house-to-house and other local enquiries.

“I urge any witnesses, anyone with information and in particular people who have mobile phone footage of the incident to come forward and speak with police if they have not already done so,” Merrett pleaded.

A woman who witnessed emergency services trying to save the man’s life said: “It was around 5 pm so the market was just closing and the traders were packing up and there were lots of children playing in the park,” according to the Evening Standard.

The man’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Two sisters, who saw the man lying on the street after being attacked by the gang, said that children also witnessed the carnage.

The unnamed woman said: “I saw someone lying on the floor so I called my elder sister who is a nurse to go and help resuscitate him.”

She said that she saw two children, around the age of five or six, telling police officers about the gang of youths who attacked the man, saying “they [the children] were really distressed.”

Her sister added: “We are just praying that the young people will come to their senses and realise they can have a proper life – go to uni and find a proper job and be good citizens.”

According to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in July revealed that knife crime in England and Wales rose to record levels in the year leading up to March, largely driven by crime in London.

Under the leadership of Mayor Sadiq Khan, murders have risen by 23 per cent, with a seven per cent jump in knife crime during the same time period.

Murders committed with knives or blades also rose by 28 per cent since 2018, with 86 people being stabbed or slashed to death in the British capital in 2019.

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