A MAN was stabbed in the chest during a street fight in broad daylight in the centre of Port Glasgow.

A stunned witness told the Telegraph that the lunchtime incident involving a knife and a hammer was 'barbaric'.

It is understood that an injured 43-year-old man turned up at hospital for treatment with a knife wound to his chest.

A source said: "Two men got into a barbaric fight at the taxi rank at the top of John Wood Street.

"It spilled over to near the U Save newsagents.

"The shopkeeper had to barricade himself inside to protect himself and his customers from being caught up in it."

Another witness said: "A woman told me that her husband and two children had to wait inside the shop for 10 minutes.

"I was told that one of the men involved had a hammer and the other hand a knife."

The Telegraph understands that the incident took place at around 1pm on Friday.

Uniformed officers were still carrying out door-to-door enquiries regarding the matter on Saturday morning.

A spokesman for Greenock CID said: "A 43-year-old male attended at Inverclyde Royal on Friday, having been struck to the chest with a bladed instrument.

"He has been uncooperative with us."

Information regarding the matter should be passed to the police via the 101 number.