Last updated at 09:22, Tuesday, 22 May 2012

Police launched a large-scale investigation after a man with knife wounds claimed he had been attacked by a gang – but inquiries found he had injured himself.

Officers sealed off the Castle Way underpass in Carlisle after the 29-year-old went into the nearby Tullie House Museum with what appeared to be stab injuries yesterday (Monday).

Police were called by staff at the museum at about 12.35pm. A force spokeswoman said the man claimed he had been attacked by a gang in the underpass.

“A large police operation was immediately launched to try and track down the offenders and identify a crime scene,” she added.

Paramedics were quickly at the scene and the man was treated for his injuries before being taken to the city’s Cumberland Infirmary.

Police officers and community support officers stood guard at either side of the underpass, which was taped off.

At one stage other officers appeared to carry out a search, including examinations of a bin beside the underpass entrance near to Carlisle Castle.

The spokeswoman added: “Inquiries and CCTV footage quickly confirmed that the man had inflicted the injury on himself before disposing of a knife which officers recovered nearby.”

He remains in a stable condition in hospital today.

First published at 13:47, Monday, 21 May 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk