A SECURITY guard who was stabbed after tackling a suspected shoplifter probably owes his life to a group of teenagers who rushed to his rescue.

The eight youngsters, all aged 18 or 19, were chatting together outside Tesco, in Wellington Road, Taunton, when they spotted a man sprinting out of the store with a security officer in hot pursuit.

The suspected thief, who police claim was carrying a knife, then turned and confronted his chaser.

Witnesses say they saw a man run out of the shop frantically waving a knife and stabbing the security guard before a group of young men tripped up a suspect and detained him.

Josh, one of the teenagers, who lives in Staplegrove, said: "We'd heard a lot of shouting and looked towards the foyer and saw this guy running out followed closely by the security guard.

"One of my friends tripped him up, so he dropped the knife on the ground and ran off towards the roadway."

Josh, who works at Tesco and does not want his surname mentioned, added: "We detained him. We sprinted after him, tripped him up, pushed him to the ground and put him in a headlock on the road, pinning him down.

"We wanted to do anything to stop him.

"Of course I think we're heroes. If we hadn't intervened, he'd have been stabbed more times and might not be here now."

The security guard was tended to by paramedics at the scene for a deep wound to his abdomen and later taken to nearby Musgrove Park Hospital for further treatment following the incident at about 9.30pm on Friday. He was later released from hospital.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said officers arrested a man, adding: "We’d also like to thank store staff and members of the public who helped assist in detaining the suspect."

*Jamie Meaden, 27, a homeless man from Taunton, appeared at Taunton Magistrates' Courts on Monday charged with theft, assault causing grievous bodily harm and possession of a knife.

He did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody to appear at Taunton Crown Court on Friday, October 5.