A 16-year-old boy has been left with serious injuries after being attacked with a machete by two young men riding a moped in Dudley.
The horrifying daylight assault happened on Saturday afternoon while the teenager was walking in the area.
According to West Midlands Police, the victim was suddenly approached by two suspects on a moped before they launched the violent attack and fled the scene moments later.
The teenager suffered severe injuries to his chest and face and was rushed for emergency surgery following the incident.
Police described the attack as extremely serious and warned that the victim could easily have lost his life.
Detective Inspector Joe Davenport from the force’s Major Crime Unit said officers have been working intensively to identify those responsible.
“This was a horrific attack in the middle of the day and it could easily have resulted in this boy losing his life,” he said.
Investigators have already recovered CCTV footage and mobile phone videos as part of the ongoing investigation.
Authorities are now urgently appealing to members of the public to come forward with any information that could help identify and arrest the attackers.
Extra police patrols have also been deployed around the area following the shocking incident to reassure residents and gather further evidence.
Police have yet to confirm the motive behind the attack or whether the victim was specifically targeted.
