Residents and businesspeople in Leyton have said they are shocked and frightened after a teenager was found in the street with stab wounds

The 15-year-old was found in Sidmouth Road about 3.50pm on Sunday after being spotted by officers on a routine patrol of the area.

He was airlifted to hospital, where he remained in a non-critical condition, and his injuries were described as non-life-threatening.

Annet Mathews, 35, who lives in Sidmouth Road just yards from where the boy was found, said: “It's terrible – we're really worried. The same thing happened a couple of months ago.”

The mother-of-three added: “It's very scary living here. My husband was here on Sunday and he said he saw the boy with blood all over him.”

Muhammad Anwar, 24, who works in nearby Coronation Dry Cleaners, said teenagers could often be seen causing trouble around troubled beauty spot Coronation Gardens, which is a short distance from Sidmouth Road.

He said: “It's all because of this park. Teenagers mess around there and at Halloween, they start throwing fireworks.”

Razia Shabir, whose mother lives in Sidmouth Road, added: “It's shocking and sad. I don't know why things like this have to happen.”

The incident is the third of its kind since June in the area around the park, known to police as a hotspot for gang crime, near Leyton High Road.

In July, police broke up a mass brawl in which five teenagers were injured and in June, a 20-year-old man was found in the park, suffering from stab wounds.

Officers from Leyton Safer Neighbourhoods Team have since begun weekly patrols of the area searching for drugs and weapons after repeated reports of gang activity.

No arrests have been made and no witness appeal has yet been issued.

Waltham Forest CID are currently investigating the stabbing.