A teenage girl who was stabbed in the neck in the grounds of a Burton church walked injured two miles to hospital.

The incident took place at 7pm on Monday, January 22, in the grounds of All Saints' Church in Branston Road.

Staffordshire Police officers cordoned off the church for several hours, from around 7am until 10.45am, as they investigate the incident.

It is not yet clear what has happened

Forensic examinations focused on an area to the rear of the church, off All Saints' Croft, with officers also looking through bushes and bins in the area.

The 16-year-old girl was treated for stab wounds to her neck, which are described as "significant but not life-threatening" after walking herself more than two miles to Queen's Hospital in Burton, said a police spokesman today, Tuesday, January 23.

Police had initially said that the church had been cordoned off for a "serious incident", that church staff there had been cooperative and friendly, and that investigations were ongoing.

All Saints Church in Branston Road, Burton
Police are currently at the scene

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, in All Saints Croft told the Burton Mail that they saw an officer picking something up in the grounds of the church this morning.

They said: "I can’t remember anything like this having happened before. All I saw was this morning there was a female police officer walking around the ground and she picked something up off the ground."

Another neighbour, who also did not want to be named, close to the church said that they were "shocked".

"It’s shocking.

Forensics can be seen on the site

"I went to work at 7.30am, came back at 9.30am and it was all cordoned off, I've got no idea what happened.

"I’ve seen police walking up and down the grounds searching and looking in bins."

Any witnesses to the incident are urged to call police on 101 quoting incident number 757 of January 22.

A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection to the incident.

The man, of no fixed address, was arrested at around 2pm and remains in police custody pending further investigations.

He has not been charged.