POLICE are hunting a teenage boy who stabbed a man in his 50s as he walked on the clifftop in Bournemouth.

The incident is the latest in a series of knife crimes in the town and the victim is being treated in hospital for his injuries.

Officers were called to East Overcliff Drive at 9.07pm on Sunday night.

A section of the road was cordoned off, as was an alleyway leading to Manor Road at its junction with Derby Road.

The clifftop cordon stretched from the Monkey Island car park to the Manor Road junction and also led to the closure of the Toft zigzag path.

It remained in place until late on Monday morning to allow crime scene investigators to carry out their inquiries.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said the victim was treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Officers searched the area for the male teenage offender, but no arrests have been made yet.

The incident comes after several reports of stabbings in the town in recent months.

Police are investigating reported incidents in the town centre, Boscombe Spa Road, Gervis Place and in two Bournemouth hotels.

Detectives are appealing for witnesses to come forward after the latest stabbing.

Bournemouth Echo:

The exact age of the teenager is unknown. It is also not known if the victim and the offender are known to each other.

Detective Inspector Gavin House, of Bournemouth CID, said: "I am appealing to anyone who was in the area of East Overcliff Drive and either saw or heard anything suspicious to please contact Dorset Police.

“I would like to reassure members of the community that a full investigation is under way into this and members of the public can expect to see an increased police presence in the area while we carry out our inquiries. Officers from the local neighbourhood policing team can be approached with any community concerns."

Anyone with information should call Dorset Police on 101, quoting occurrence number 55190125293, or the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.