A MAN is recovering in hospital after suffering a punctured lung in an alleged knife attack in Nelson.

John Brown, 25, suffered a knife wound to the left shoulder blade in the incident in Bankhouse Road on Saturday afternoon.

He was admitted to Burnley General Hospital.

Ambulance and police were called to the scene at about 4.30pm.

Two Asian men who live locally were arrested and were later charged with an offence of wounding with intent to cause Mr Brown grievous bodily harm.

Mehmud Ahmed and Sharaz Mohammed Khan were appearing before Pennine magistrates at Burnley today.

Det Sgt Peter Simm stressed: "This was not a racist incident. We believe there has been some form of disagreement which goes back quite some time."