POLICE IN NORTHERN Ireland have arrested three people following an early morning incident in Belfast city centre during which a number of people were injured.

The PSNI responded to reports that a woman had been stabbed and a man attacked in the vicinity of York Street just after 2am.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) was in attendance when officers arrived on the scene where four women were reporting injuries as a result of being stabbed.

A man, in his twenties, sustained a minor injury to his hand.

The NIAS treated two of the women, aged in their twenties, at the scene while the two other women, one aged in her teens and the other aged in her twenties, were taken to hospital for treatment of their injuries.

The PSNI said that two women, aged 26 and 27, were subsequently arrested on suspicion of offences, including attempted murder and wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.

They all remain in custody this morning assisting with enquiries, police said.

“Our enquiries into this incident, which we are treating as attempted murder, are continuing and we are working to establish exactly what happened,” said Detective Sergeant O’Flaherty.

I am appealing to anyone who was in this area, between 1.30am and 2am and witnessed what occurred, or has information which may help our investigation, to call our detectives at Musgrave on 101 and quote reference number 127 of 17/03/21.