POLICE are investigating how a man suffered injuries near a canal that led to him being rushed to hospital.

Officers were called to Waterside Road in Romsey at 3.49pm yesterday to reports that a man had been found with injuries to his back.

Some residents say they were told the man was stabbed, while another said they believed he had suffered a heart attack.

Hampshire Constabulary has not provided further details of how the man suffered the injuries.

It is believed the man was found near to a bridge over the Romsey Barge Canal.

Residents have pointed out what they believe to be blood on the footbridge.

The 24-year-old victim was taken to Southampton General Hospital with what police described as "superficial injuries to his upper back".

South Central Ambulance Service confirmed that the air ambulance was called out to the incident, but the man was taken to hospital by road.

Hampshire Constabulary is asking anyone with information to call 101, quoting reference 44160286008.

One woman who walked her dog over the bridge and said she knew the man said: “He’s going to be alright. He was stood on the Oxley Gate, I thought he was had fallen into the prickles [brambles].

"He was stood up, he looked OK. I would have helped him otherwise.

“I was on my way walking my dog. We live on the same estate. I didn’t think anything of it.”

Another resident, David Rogers, said: “There were two paramedics and two police men. There was certainly com commotion going on. I heard them say somebody’s had a heart attack."

Another neighbour who didn’t want to give their name said: “I don’t know what all the commotion was about, no idea. I did see patches of blood on the bridge, on the structure of the bridge.”

Susan Hosie, another resident in Waterside Road said: “The police parked here and they went over the bridge.

"The helicopter went round and round and round but it was all over there and on the other side of the canal.”

Lucy and Barrie Brown live on the opposite side of the canal in The Meadows but only saw the helicopter.

Barrie said: “People tend to stop on the bridge there to talk. You can hear them particularly at night.”

A shopkeeper at Mercer Way Premier Stores said: “Lots of people are saying it’s been a stabbing. There are lots of different reports.”