THE families of two men with stab wounds are keeping a vigil at their hospital bedsides.

Stephen Ainsworth, 24, and Carl Parkinson, 19, were admitted to Blackburn Royal Infirmary on Saturday night after an incident in the Livesey area of Blackburn and their friends and family have stayed by their sides since.

Carl, of Eskwood Avenue, Blackburn, suffered a punctured lung and has 42 staples to his chest and stomach sealing the wound.

His sister Kerry, 20, said: "We were in total shock when we saw him in intensive care and all burst into tears. Our younger sister Kimberley keeps crying.

"Mum is just trying to be really strong for all of us and we are looking forward to getting him home again."

The family have begun to prepare a room for Carl at the home he shares with mother Wendy, sister Kimberley, 15, and brother Kelvin, 13. Carl also has a brother Kristofer, 18.

Carl, a trainee landscaper with Blackburn Groundwork, is anxious to return home and to his job doing gardens and rockeries which he began a month ago. He said: "I lost two litres of blood and the doctors said I nearly died so it was a relief to be brought out of intensive care.

"Now I am looking forward to getting back home, getting back to work, and playing football again with the lads."

His friend Stephen, of Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, is on the same ward.

He said: "When I got in here I was in pain and felt very faint.

"Now I am feeling a lot better than I did and have calmed down, but am still in a lot of pain. I am looking forward to getting back on my feet and back home."

A 28-year-old Kosovar asylum seeker was remanded on bail when he appeared before Blackburn magistrates yesterday charged with two counts of wounding.

Agim Abazi, of Brookway, Blackburn, will appear at Preston Crown Court for trial on August 22.