One man was stabbed and another shot as armed thugs staged a running battle through the streets in north London last night.

Witnesses told how screams could be heard as rival groups attacked one another around Finsbury Park at about 10pm last night.

A 30-year-old man was found stabbed in Seven Sisters Road and a man in his late twenties was taken to hospital after being shot in nearby Blackstock Road.

Amir Habibi, manager at The Blackstock pub in Seven Sisters Road, said: “We were told someone had been stabbed in a car by the entrance to the pub. There was lots of screaming and a big group of men fighting.”

A shopkeeper said: “It was very dramatic. We heard screams and then loads of people running down the road. I had members of the public running into the shop to protect themselves, saying a man was running around with a knife.”

Asif Mahmoud, 44, a lawyer from Finsbury Park, said: “I heard screaming ahead of me. I thought someone had been hit by a car — then I saw lots of running and people screaming that someone had been stabbed.

“There was a group of around a dozen young men who ran off in different directions. Then you could hear sirens and police started shouting at people to clear the road.”

An order was put in place to allow officers in Finsbury Park and Seven Sisters Road to stop and search anyone to prevent further violence. Scotland Yard said there were no arrests.

The area was sealed off and officers remained at the scene into the night.

Images shared on social media showed police guarding Seven Sisters Road as a number of emergency service vehicles line the street.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101 quoting reference Cad 8974/8Jul or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 11.