Man arrested after teen stabbed

A man has been arrested after a teenager was stabbed in Wellington's Courtenay Place early yesterday morning, but charges will not be laid until police have sifted through conflicting information from witnesses.

Two teens, aged 18 and 19, were involved in an incident with another man outside Rain bar in the heart of Wellington's nightclub area about 4.15am, Detective Sergeant Michael Priston said.

They moved across the street to Coyote bar where the man allegedly punched the 19-year-old and stabbed the younger man in the lower back.

The teen was unaware he had been stabbed until an associate noticed the knife protruding from his body, Mr Priston said.

He was taken to Wellington Hospital where he was in a stable condition.

Detective Sergeant Jason Perry of Wellington CIB said police were still speaking to witnesses and seeking further information.

"There's a whole lot of conflicting stories," he said.

"We've arrested someone, but we're still trying to establish exactly what's taken place. Obviously his account is different, and we've got a number of different people who have seen different parts of it."

Police were keeping an open mind about who was responsible for the attack, although the man in custody would face charges, Mr Perry said.

It was not yet clear what provoked the attack.

Police were recovering CCTV footage from various sources to assist their inquiries.

- NZPA