A man has been arrested after a worshipper was stabbed outside a church following an Easter Sunday service.

The victim, in his 40s, was taken to hospital following the incident outside St Stephen’s Church in Sneinton, Nottinghamshire, at around 10.50am on Sunday.

Police say a 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Detective Sergeant Andy Buxton, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This is an ongoing investigation and we do believe it to be an isolated incident with no wider risk posed to the public.

“The victim remains in hospital after suffering injuries to his stomach and our officers are continuing to support him while our inquiries continue.

“We understand an incident like this can cause concern to the community, but I want to personally reassure them that we do have a suspect in custody and have a group of detectives and officers working hard to understand exactly what has happened.”

He urged anyone with information to come forward.

In a Facebook post, a church spokesperson described the incident as a “terribly challenging situation”, adding: “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected.”

A Church of England spokesperson added: “It has been a shock for the community. He was stabbed outside the church by someone who had been at the service.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected by this awful tragedy.”