Stabbed T in the Park reveller was 'innocent victim defending female friend'

The 22-year-old man is in intensive care after suffering eight wounds to the body and three to the head yesterday while in his campsite.

Police are now hunting two men ‘with blood-spattered clothing’ they believe carried out the ‘horrific’ knife attack.

In a separate incident, a 32-year-old man was found dead in his tent at the festival site in Balado, central Scotland.

Attack: Tents pitched on the yellow camp site where the man was stabbed and, right, police talk to revellers

The stabbing victim was found in the campsite at around 12.40am, and police believe two men were behind the assault in the blue zone of the site.

Detective Chief Inspector Bruce Kerr of Tayside Police told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: ‘He was an innocent victim.

‘He went to intervene with the two males who were accosting one of his female friends and they just set about him and he was stabbed 11 times, eight to the body and three to the head.’

The area was cordoned off yesterday as officers with Tayside Police carried out a forensic examination of the scene.

Police have circulated a description of the suspects and urged any revellers who witnessed anything to contact them.

US band Bowling for Soup perform on the main stage on the third day of the event

Crowds wave banners and flags while being entertained by live music

Around 80,000 music fans attended each day of the event, which began on Friday.

Police said the task of finding the attackers would be made more difficult as music fans who may have witnessed the two suspects headed home today.

Mr Kerr said: ‘I think it will be extremely difficult. These people will probably change their clothing and there are over 80,000 people at the site.

‘However, we are hopeful that we have some good forensic evidence that may help us trace the two persons responsible.

‘We have two good descriptions of the men which were circulated yesterday and we will find them.’

One suspect is described as white, aged 20-24, and slim with short brown hair. He is thought to have been wearing a green or yellow jacket.

The second man is described as being white and stocky with short, brown receding hair. He was wearing a red hooded top or jacket.

Kate Nash and Luke Pritchard of The Kooks take to the stage at the event which draws music lovers from across Britain

Later yesterday a 32-year-old man died in his tent in an unrelated incident at the event.

He was found by friends at around 11.50am and taken to the on-site hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Mr Kerr said it seemed the man died from a medical condition and it is not a criminal matter.

He said police had no reason to suspect drugs were involved, though there will be a post mortem examination.

Festival director Geoff Ellis said: ‘In T in the Park’s 15-year history this is the first time we have had a death on-site and we are shocked and saddened to hear the news. Our thoughts are with the family at this time.’

Reggae singer Eddie Grant (left) and Sharleen Spiteri (right) perform

Of the stabbing, he added: ‘It was isolated, but serious. Fortunately we have a great medical team and a medical hospital on site and we were able to treat him very quickly and he’s in a stable condition.

‘Hopefully the police will catch the people responsible.’

The three-day music festival is the biggest in Scotland, attracting some of the industry’s top names.

Over the three days 180 artists performed on 11 stages.

The festival ended last night when headline acts REM and The Prodigy took to the stage.

Other artists who performed on the final day included the Zutons, the Charlatans and Amy Macdonald.

Troubled star Amy Winehouse also made it to the main stage, having cancelled her appearance last year, citing exhaustion.