A teenage boy was savagely attacked by a hooded gang of axe and machete-wielding thugs who pounced as he walked through a sun-drenched springtime park.

Horrific footage captured the tracksuits and balaclava clad trio as they surrounded their 17-year-old victim in broad daylight in east London on Wednesday afternoon.

Met Police have launched an urgent manhunt to track down the gang responsible for the 5.45pm attack in Pennyfields Park, in Poplar, Tower Hamlets, after receiving a number of 999 calls reporting the stabbing.

The footage of the incident has emerged on social media, showing the group of thugs throwing their victim to the ground before kicking and punching him.

One hooded brute then appears to slash at the teenager with a machete as he desperately raises his hand to try and block the blow.

The video ends with the group leaving the park as the teenager sits on the ground and people walk towards him to offer their assistance.

He was taken to hospital with non-threatening injuries and is today said to be recovering in hospital where police will attempt to interview him.

It marks the second filmed machete-related incident in just two days, following a violent clash on Monday evening when a group of thugs armed with foot-long knives were caught on camera fighting on a Tube station platform.

Video footage, taken by a commuter on the tube, appeared to show two teenagers lunging towards each other while they shouted threats.

Officers from British Transport Police attended the scene and a 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife.

It comes amid growing alarm over the scale of knife crime. A total of 262 lives were lost to knife violence in England and Wales last year, including 52 people under the age of 25.

Some 55,008 knife-related offences were recorded by forces in England and Wales in the 12 months to September 2024.

This is up 4% from 52,969 offences in the previous 12 months, and is almost level with the 55,170 offences in the pre-Covid year ending March 2020.

Just after 9pm on Saturday, a gang of 50 to 70 youths launched a horrifying knife attack in east London after crashing a school birthday party.

Phone footage posted online showed the moment panicked children fled for their lives after thugs armed with knives and machetes burst into a girl’s private 16th birthday celebration held in the rented hall of Elm Park Primary School, Hornchurch.

Referencing the incident in Poplar, a spokesperson for Met Police said: “On Wednesday, 26 March at 17:45hrs police were called to Pennyfields Park, Poplar following reports of a stabbing.

“Police attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service who treated a boy for stab wounds.

“He was taken to a near-by hospital, where his injuries were later confirmed to be non-life changing/threatening.

“At this early stage, there have been no arrests.

“Officers are currently conducting urgent enquiries, if you have any information that may assist then please come forward by calling 101.”