A man who suffered stab wounds and was arrested after an early morning row in Strood has been released without charge.
The man and a dog both suffered stab wounds after an alleged fight broke out outside a house in Cuxton Road yesterday.Police were called out to the road at just before 6.10am and said a 34-year-old man suffered stab wounds during the reported fracas.He was initially treated for his injuries at Medway Maritime Hospital, but has now been released. Officers also arrested him on suspicion of affray.Police say he is from Rochester, but his injuries are not life-threatening.But this morning, officers said he was not going to be charged in relation to the incident.Two other men, a 34-year-old from Rainham and a 40-year-old from Strood, were also arrested near the scene.The Rainham man was held on suspicion of affray and the Strood man accused of grievous bodily harm with intent. They have now both been bailed until October pending further enquiries.It is not clear who owns the dog, but it had to be taken to an emergency vet after suffering slash wounds. It is still being cared for by the RSPCA. Police say all three men were known to each other and people living in the street said the road was closed for several hours while officers examined the scene, close to Roach Street.Pavements were splattered with blood and a red car thought to be connected to the incident was taken away by a recovery truck.One man, who didn’t want to be named, said: “I heard a commotion and someone was shouting, ‘he’s got me, he’s got me,’".“I think some of them ran off after that as there was a line of blood drops right down the road even as far as the Tesco car park.

“The officers told me they were looking for a sheath knife and they were looking in people’s gardens and bins.”

Another resident who lives opposite the scene, said: “I never heard anything, the first I knew about it was when the police knocked on my door to give me a letter telling me there had been an incident in the road, but I couldn’t tell them anything.

“It’s not normally like this around here, we don’t normally have incidents like this.”

Police conducted house-to-house enquiries, while forensic and other officers could be seen searching for the knife.

Cuxton Road was closed at 8.25am and remained shut for about two hours.

The police spokesman, added: “The 34-year-old man from Rainham arrested on suspicion of affray has been bailed to October 21, pending further enquiries.

The 40-year-old man arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent has been bailed to the same date.

“The 34-year-old from Rochester arrested on suspicion of affray has been released without charge.”