A MAN was reportedly stabbed multiple times in the city centre earlier this evening.

Close to a dozen emergency service vehicles were parked in and off Charles Street, which is still taped off, as is part of New Street.

An eye witness described seeing “loads of blood” after the man, named locally as Paul Gill, apparently stumbled out of an alleyway connecting New Street with City Walls Road near Papa’s Caffè at around 6pm.

The witness said: “The lad ran out of the alleyway, then took his top off and it was clear he’d been stabbed. He was stood there a long time before anyone realised what had happened. When he took his shirt off there was loads of blood, it went all over the pavement.”

He said ambulance crews arrived at the scene quickly but police seemed to take a long time.

Armed officers and police dogs were present at the scene.

One officer said the blockages could be in place for a “few hours, if not days”.

It is understood the man was airlifted to hospital in Birmingham.

More to come.