CCTV captures schoolgirl, 14, moments before she was stabbed 30 times in park

Jessica Knight, 14, was left for dead in a pool of her own blood after the apparently motiveless attack.

It is thought the schoolgirl was stabbed at least 30 times and Chief Superintendent Irene Curtis announced that a man had been arrested when she gave an interview with GMTV.

A cyclist found Jessica and she was taken to a nearby hospital, where she spent five hours in surgery.

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A second man, Simon Corlson, 52, a project manager, dialled 999 on his mobile phone and then fetched a blanket from his car.

He said: "A policeman told me later that she'd been stabbed 30 times.

"But I only saw two of the wounds - one to her cheek, the other to her neck, pumping blood."

Her condition was today described as critical but stable.

The attack took place on Monday evening in parkland in the affluent village of Astley, near Chorley, Lancashire.

Shortly after 5pm the teenager can be seen on CCTV wandering past the local shops.

Police released these images today in a bid to catch her attacker.

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But just ten minutes later she was attacked as she walked through the park.

Police said the assault appeared to have been completely motiveless. They have urged locals to be on their guard.

Jessica's parents, Jill and Richard Knight, said: "Our 14-year-old daughter was walking through the local public park when she was subjected to a senseless attack.

"She has been stabbed and left for dead. Please contact the local police with any information to bring the person responsible to justice."

Steve Brunskill, of Lancashire Police, said: "This is a particularly nasty assault on a defenceless young girl. If you know of anyone who returned home after 5.15pm yesterday in an agitated state, who may also have been bloodstained, we need to speak to you."

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He said residents close to the scene of the attack heard screams coming from the park.

"A cyclist coming home from work came round the corner and was confronted by the teenager lying unconscious on the floor.

"Her injuries have been caused by what I can only describe as a frenzied attack with what I believe to be a knife."

Jessica finished school at Parklands High shortly before the attack.

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She returned home to change out of her uniform, and left the house in a black hooded jacket, blue jeans and white trainers.

Mr Brunskill said police were anxious to speak with anyone who saw the teenager around the time of the attack.

He said the teenager had suffered multiple stab wounds but there was no evidence of sexual assault.

"She underwent an awful lot of surgery and she was in a bad way," he added. "She is stable now."

Officers are with Jessica's family at Chorley Hospital and are waiting to speak to the teenager to try to piece together what happened.

Her headmistress, Jean McGrath, said: "Jessica is a lovely, hard-working girl. We hope and pray she will recover soon.

"I spoke to all our pupils today, telling them of the incident, praying for Jessica, and reminding them to be extra vigilant with regard to their own safety."

Mounted officers and neighbourhood policing teams have been called in to patrol the area.

The area has council offices on one side and sheltered housing on the other.

Local resident Douglas Hope said: "We have gangs of kids getting up to mischief but it's not bad around here. We have never seen anything like this before."

His son Matthew, who is in Jessica's year at school, said he had been told the girl was listening to her iPod when she was attacked.

Third teen this year stabbed in London

An 18-year-old boy has become the third teenager to be knifed to death in London this year.

Boduka Louis Mudianga, an art and design student, was killed in broad daylight on Monday.

A friend of his, who was also injured in the attack, remains in a stable condition in hospital.

Detectives are looking for two black males seen in the area – Silver Street in Edmonton, North London – just before the killing.

A 20-year-old man and two boys aged 14 and 16 have been arrested in connection with the incident.

•A 15-year-old boy was stabbed up to nine times on monday.

The teenager was attacked after being approached by a group of men as he walked in Coventry.

He is now in hospital, having suffered a punctured lung, serious arm and head injuries and a severed artery under his arm.

Detective Constable David McCance said: "It was a nasty atack on this lad - eight or nine stab wounds."

The stabbing took place in Foleshill Road at around 10pm and the teenager was found by a member of the public.

Shortly before the stabbing there was an altercation inside a fish bar on the same road, and police are investigating any links between the incidents.

Police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed either incident to contact CID at Stoney Stanton Road police station on 0845 113 5000 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.