A witness who dashed to help a young man after he was stabbed in the street has described how he thought the victim would bleed to death.

The man was knifed in the early hours of yesterday in The Brook, Chatham.

Police were called to reports of a fight at 2.20am and five people have been arrested.

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The passer-by ran to help the teenager as he lay on the ground, bleeding heavily. He took off his own belt to wrap around his leg to try to stem the bleeding.

The man, 36, who does not want to be named, said: “He had a knife wound at the top of his leg.

"There was a lot of blood. He wasn’t saying much, he was just drifting in and out of consciousness. I thought he was going to die in my arms.”

He added: “The ambulance was on the scene in minutes. I couldn’t go in the ambulance to the hospital but I wanted to see how he was.

Video: Part of Chatham town centre was cordoned off yesterday

"So I got a taxi up there. I couldn’t just let him go, not knowing what was going to happen to him. Everyone was saying that I saved his life.

"But I didn’t care about that, I just wanted him to be OK.”

Two men were also injured in the violence and received treatment.

One witness described seeing forensic officers at the scene in the early hours and “loads of blood”.

It is thought violence erupted after a car pulled up in the street and two men got out.

A police spokesman said: “One man was treated for injuries consistent of a stab wound and two other men suffered assault injuries, all of which are not believed to be life threatening at this time.”

Four people were arrested on suspicion of assault and one person was arrested for a public order offence. All suspects remained in custody.

The Brook, between King Street and Whiffens Avenue, was completely shut for several hours. Drivers were diverted along Waterfront Way, past the bus station.

Officers remained at the scene yesterday morning and a partial road closure was still in place at the junction of Whiffen’s Avenue.