Christmas on Franklin Rd 'marred' by alleged stabbing overnight

Franklin Rd was partly cordoned off after last night's stabbing. Photo / Kelly Dennett

Auckland's Franklin Rd residents are perplexed and devastated after a man was stabbed on the busy street "heaving" with families and children viewing the street's famous Christmas lights.

Police said a man was in hospital in a serious condition after an assault just after 10pm last night in which he was believed to have suffered stab wounds.

No arrests have been made and police are seeking information from witnesses, who are believed to have numbered in the hundreds, as families flocked to see the street's festive lights.

There are unconfirmed reports a man was seen running from the scene down Heke St afterwards.

Eye witnesses reported seeing paramedics give the victim CPR before he was rushed to hospital.

Well-known Franklin Rd resident, writer Hamish Keith, said he was asleep and woken by the police car sirens at the time of the incident.

"It's sad that a street that has given so much joy to children being marred by an incident like this. It's a great shame.

"It has been a brilliantly happy week in the street, it has been very busy," Keith said.

Three homes between Arthur and Heke streets were cordoned off and residents told the Herald they'd been temporarily prevented from returning home after the incident.

"They said you can't come in, it's a crime scene," one man said. He returned home after a dinner to see the houses cordoned off, and decided to continue partying until 4am, by which time he was allowed in his front door.

Franklin Rd residents were unable to enter their homes after a stabbing on the street last night. Photo / Kelly Dennett

At 9am on Saturday police removed the cordon from around the homes. The cordon was guarding medical equipment and a backpack that had been left lying on the pavement outside one of the homes near the top of the street.

A group of women celebrating a Christmas work do at a Franklin Rd home said they hadn't been able to retrieve their car from inside the cordon and had to spend the night there.

One woman had flown up from Christchurch especially and said she was shocked at what had happened. Another resident said police had escorted her inside her home after she came home about 11pm from a night out revelling.

She had sat on her veranda until 1am and said a scene guard was out there the entire night.

"The street was heaving. It's bizarre. Franklin Rd has got to be one of the safest streets in Auckland."

Christmas lights organiser Ross Thorby said he was disturbed at the thought someone amongst the crowd might have been carrying a weapon.

"We're very disturbed. It's just terrible. It's shocking what's happened. It's meant to be a display of happiness and light," he said.

"I had only just had a conversation with someone half an hour before it happened about what a great atmosphere it was."

He hoped the incident wouldn't put people off the street's lights.

The famous Christmas displays have been running every year for the past 25 years and last week were launched by Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy .

"I think it's just an unfortunate incident. We're devastated because it's not what the lights are about. In 25 years we've never had an incident," Thorby said.

Witnesses are urged to contact police on (09) 302 6400 or give information by calling anonymously on 0800 555 111.​