A MAN has died after being stabbed in broad daylight during a fight at a country park.

Police officers were called to reports of a disturbance at John Hastie Park in Strathaven, Lanarkshire, on Tuesday afternoon.

The incident took place near to a children's play area and the park was busy with children and families at the time of the incident.

Members of the public rushed to the aid of the injured man before medics arrived but he died at the scene.

Police and ambulance crews were called to the incident at 1.30pm on Tuesday.

Officers immediately cordoned off the area while ambulance workers desperately tried to save the man who was lying injured in the middle of the football pitches.

Forensic officers were carrying out a detailed search of the scene on Tuesday afternoon.

Local woman Ellen Malone, 79, was in the park at the time of the incident.

She said: "I have never seen anything like it in all the years I've lived in Strathaven.

"The park was quite busy and the next thing all hell seemed to break loose over at the other side with a lot of shouting.

"The next I'd heard somebody had been stabbed and the police seemed to arrive very quickly with the ambulance.

"It was very scary to see and some of the children were obviously terrified because of all the sirens.

"It didn't take long for the paths to be blocked off and for the boats and things to be shut down early for the night.

"It's the last thing you expect to see on a day to the park in a place like Strathaven."

Avondale and Stonehouse councillor Margaret Cooper expressed her sympathies for the family of the man.

She said: “It’s a really uncommon incident for Strathaven Park and it will shock a lot of people locally.

“It’s a well-used park that people will travel from all over to go to. A lot of families with young children and dog walkers and community groups like ramblers use the park every day.

“My thoughts are with the man’s family.”

Another local, who didn't want to be named, said: "It was utter chaos and there seemed to be a big fight between a group of people in the park.

"It looked like someone had been stabbed through the chest and there was a massive battle to try and save him but to no avail.

"It is shocking that this has happened in a busy park in the middle of the day during the school holidays."

The park had been busy over lunchtime with children playing nearby on bouncy castles and the boating pond.

All of these facilities were shut down immediately following the incident.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "Around 1.30pm police were called to a report of a disturbance within John Hastie Park in Strathaven in which a man was seriously injured.

"Ambulance crews attended but the man died at the scene.

"A post mortem will be held to establish the exact cause of death which police are treating as suspicious.

"Enquiries, which are at an early stage, are ongoing."

ENDS