POLICE are appealing for witnesses after two men received slash wounds when a late night argument in Marlborough turned into a knife fight.

Officers said they are still trying to piece together the events in the early hours of Friday morning that resulted in two men receiving serious wounds to their hands and arms.

Both were taken to Swindon's Great Western Hospital by ambulance and it is understood they both needed surgery.

Officers were called to the New Road area of the town at about 12.30am on Friday and found two men bleeding profusely from knife wounds.

A third man is believed to have been involved but was not injured.

A police spokesman said it appeared that two men were having an argument with a third man outside the Il Capricorno Italian restaurant.

At least one knife was produced and a fight broke out.

Officers said they had not ruled out the possibility that one man used the knife to wound the other who then grabbed the knife and turned it on the first man. A knife was later found by a member of the public in the St Mary's churchyard.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Det Con Angela Bryant at Marlborough Police Station on (01672) 512311.