A MAN has appeared before before Hereford Magistrates Court this afternoon in connection with two stabbings in Hereford.

Gary Stretch, aged 47, of Riseholme, Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, has been charged with encouraging or assisting in the commission of indictable offences, believing that one or more will be committed (under the Serious Crime Act 2007).

The charge is in relation to attacks on two men, which happened on Westfaling Street and on a footpath between Golden Post and the Belmont estate on Tuesday afternoon.

He has also been charged with a burglary which took place at a house in Kington on the same day.

Stretch was remanded in custody to appear before the same court on Monday.

A woman in her 30s, who was also arrested in connection with the stabbings, was detained yesterday under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act and taken to a secure unit outside of Herefordshire where she is being assessed.

At this time, officers believe three other men, all from Kington in Herefordshire, who were arrested over the knife attacks, had no direct involvement with the stabbings and have been released without charge in relation to those offences.

However one of them, a 42-year-old-man, has charged with handling stolen goods in connection with the Kington burglary and has been bailed to appear before Hereford Magistrates Court at a later date.

A 47-year-old man has been granted police bail pending further inquiries into assisting an offender wanted by Cambridgeshire Police and also for handling stolen goods in connection with the Kington burglary.

A 43-year-old man has also been released on police bail in relation to the offence of handling stolen goods, in connection with the same burglary.

Officers carrying out inquiries into that burglary arrested two more people yesterday – a man and a woman – in the Belmont area of the city on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

They have also been released on police bail.