A TEENAGER suffered a punctured lung after being stabbed in the front garden of his house.

Peter Mee, 17, was in a "serious but stable" condition in the intensive care unit at Burnley General Hospital today after being stabbed in the chest with a knife during an altercation outside his home in Venice Avenue, Burnley.

Detective Inspector Colin Barton, of Burnley CID, who is leading the inquiry into the attack, said officers were called to the house at 3.30pm yesterday after a report of a disturbance in the garden.

He said: "It became apparent a 17-year-old youth had suffered a single stab wound to the chest and he was taken to Burnley General Hospital.

"A 16-year-old youth has been arrested and two other youths are being sought in connection with the incident. Police inquiries are continuing."

The arrested teenager was today being questioned by police at Burnley today. The garden was cordoned off by the police as forensic officers searched the area for evidence. A patrol car stood guard over the area through the night and officers were at the house today.

Neighbours said Peter's family had only moved into the row of council homes around Christmas and they had kept themselves to themselves.

One elderly woman said: "They were very quiet although there were always young men coming and going. No-one knows them at all.

"It's a terrible thing to happen. Everyone seems to have knives these days, you don't feel safe."

Another neighbour said Peter worked at Northern Textiles, Burnley. She said: "You'd see him waiting for the bus every morning with his girlfriend before he went to work."

A spokesman at the firm confirmed Peter worked for them but declined to comment further.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.