Police sealed off a road after a man was rushed to hospital with stab wounds.

Officers descended on Downs Road in Canterbury just before 8.05pm yesterday, shutting off the street up to the junction with St Stephen's Hill.

They had received a report of a disturbance inside a property in the area before discovering the seriously injured 33-year-old.

Detectives have reopened part of the thoroughfare, which leads to student hotspot Hales Place, as they remain at the scene, with some seen scouring a grass verge.

A police spokesman said: "A man aged 33 was taken to a London hospital to be treated for injuries, consistent with stab wounds.

"His condition is described as stable.

"A 17-year-old boy was also treated for minor injuries."

Officers have arrested both the 33-year-old and 17-year-old on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.

Inquiries into the circumstances are ongoing.

A Downs Road homeowner, 47, told KentOnline: "In terms of crime, this area is like anywhere else – it doesn't really reflect what it's like round here.

"Where my house is near St Stephen's Hill, it is relatively quiet and peaceful, but up in Hales Place it changes."

A University of Kent student, who lives in the area, said police had been questioning residents nearby.

He also spotted bloodstains on the pavement as he walked up the road this morning.