People in Calne have spoken of their shock after a man was stabbed in Wood Street in the early hours of Monday morning.

His 21-year-old girlfriend was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder but was later released on police bail after her boyfriend refused to speak to police.

It is believed the man was stabbed at 1am and an ambulance called at 1.45.

The couple, who have been together for seven months, lived with another woman in a Wood Street flat.

Jules Annan, 42, of Cheltenham, who was visiting his father in law in Calne, said: "I was woken up at 2am by flashing lights and lots of noise.

"I walked outside and saw two Range Rover police vans and another police car outside a flat.

"The flat's window had been smashed and there was a computer smashed up in the street "Then I heard a helicopter landing and I ran round the back of the flats and saw this guy with blood on shirt, looking really dazed, walk from the ambulance to the helicopter.

"People came out of their houses, still half asleep, in a state of panic as no one knew what was going on.

"About half an hour later I saw a hysterical woman being taken into a police car crying her eyes out.

"I was so surprised. I thought it was a robbery at first but when I saw the number of police with sniffer dogs, I knew something was going on.

"You don't expect something like this to happen in Calne. I was shocked. Calne is usually a sleepy market town."

One neighbour, who didn't want to be named, said: "I was woken up by a helicopter hovering and thought it was odd as it was about two in the morning.

"My partner got up and told me there were loads of police cars outside this flat.

"I had no idea what was going on. When I heard it was a stabbing, I was shocked and angry."

It has been alleged the man involved had drunk five pints that evening and left a pub at closing time.

A friend of the couple said: "Most of the time they seemed like a happy couple, it has been traumatising for both of them.

"They used to have arguments like any other couple but never anything physical."

Chippenham Police confirmed they responded to an incident in Wood Street where a man was found with a non life-threatening wound to his chest.

They arrested a 21-year-old woman at the scene and have since released her without charge on police bail. They are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.