Blood-coated sink in Chippenham flat
12:00pm Thursday 31st January 2013 in Latest News By Julie Armstrong, Senior reporter
A police officer investigates the scene of the incident in Chippenham (TK108
Police stumbled across a sink covered in blood in an empty flat in Chippenham this week, prompting fears of a stabbing.
Suspicions arose after an ambulance was called out for a 26-year-old man with a stab wound to his arm on Sunday evening.
The man was found to be connected with a Hardbrook Court flat on Audley Road, where a great deal of blood was found in the bathroom the next morning.
Police community support officer Lyn Staples was on patrol on Monday when she noticed a front door on Audley Road was open.
She went into the flat to check everything was okay. The officer found the flat empty but, in the bathroom, the sink and bath were covered in blood.
Paramedics picked up a wounded man from nearby Sheldon Road at 7.40pm on Sunday, where he was found conscious outside an off-licence. He was taken to Royal United Hospital in Bath and has since been discharged.
Police said the man had not revealed to them how his stab wound came about.
The Hardbrook Court flat was cordoned off and treated as a possible crime scene. A forensic police team carried out a full examination inside to gather evidence.
Chippenham Sergeant Phil Connor appealed for any witnesses to ring them on the police 101 number He said: “There was no evidence of a struggle. We are reasonably satisfied the blood was due to someone self-harming but we are still making other inquiries.
“At the moment we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.”
Police said they had been working with the owners of the flat, Jephson Housing, regarding concerns of anti-social behaviour associated with the tenants. The flat has been made secure.
