A TEENAGE boy became the latest victim of knife crime after being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The 19-year-old was leaving the 24-hour Food Link store opposite the Swiss Cottage pub in Finchley Road in the early hours of Friday when a silver car

A TEENAGE boy became the latest victim of knife crime after being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The 19-year-old was leaving the 24-hour Food Link store opposite the Swiss Cottage pub in Finchley Road in the early hours of Friday when a silver car drove onto the pavement and overturned.

He came out of the shop to investigate and was smashed on the leg with a baseball bat by one of the car's passengers.

The youth was then chased along Finchley Road by a passenger in another car and stabbed in the stomach.

He collapsed on the central reservation before receiving medical treatment from a passing ambulance at 1am and taken to hospital, where his condition was stable.

Police believe it was a case of mistaken identity. DC Tom Moriarty said: "The youth has no idea why this has happened. It has no idea of any earlier altercation with his attackers. He was just in the shop getting some food and was chased when he came out.

"Some sort of altercation had gone on earlier with a group of youths outside KFC [next door] but the victim was not involved."

Sgt Nick Parry from Swiss Cottage Safer Neighbourhoods team said up until then the area had been quiet.

"We spoke to all the residents and the shopkeepers but a lot of them were not aware of what had happened," Sgt Perry said. "We tried to reassure them that this is not going to keep on happening here and that it was a one-off."

Finchley Road was closed until the early hours of the morning while the upturned car was removed.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on Saturday in connection with the attack and released on bail. Police are now examining CCTV.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 020-7404 1212 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.