A TEENAGER pulled an eight-inch shard of glass from his side after allegedly being pushed against a shop window which shattered.

The 16-year-old was allegedly grabbed by the throat by a man who pushed him up against the plate-glass window of Stoke's St Luke's Hospice charity shop yesterday afternoon.

Shocked shop volunteers tended to the boy as he lay bleeding on the pavement.

One witness, a 70-year-old volunteer, told how she, and other workers, helped him into the shop and treated his wound. She said the boy pulled an eight-inch shard of glass from an area below his rib cage.

"It upset all of us, especially when the window went in," said the shop worker who did not wish to be named.

"The poor boy. He was bleeding heavily just below the ribcage.

"He had a shard of glass in him and pulled it out himself.

"We took him out the back of the shop and got a sheet and tried to stem the flow of blood.

"It happened so quickly, it frightened us."

The boy was treated by South Western Ambulance Service at the scene, before he was taken to Derriford Hospital.

His injuries were last night not reported to be "life threatening" although police said it appeared there was "a lot" of blood loss.

Police say the boy, who lives in the Stoke area, was walking along the side of Molesworth Road with fellow school pupils at about 3.15pm when a car pulled up beside them.

A man got out of the car and approached the group. An argument then began between the man and the boy.

It is alleged the man grabbed the teenager by the throat and thrust him against the shop window.

Staff say he was pushed against the window twice. The glass shattered on the second thrust.

Richard Stimpson, retail area manager for St Luke's Hospice, paid tribute to the shop volunteers.

"Our valiant staff took the boy to the back room and wrapped him up until ambulance staff came with the police," he said.

"They handled the situation very well and I'm very proud of them.

"It shocked them but they acted in the correct way, calling the emergency services and helping the boy."

Mr Stimpson said the shop would have to be closed for a time to allow clothes in the immediate area of the window to be cleared.

"The window will be expensive to replace," added Mr Stimpson who said the charity had to replace another window when a brick was thrown through it over the Christmas period.

"We want to reopen as soon as possible. We will have to get rid of the stock in the area where the window went in.

"It's sad because we were having a good day's trade up until then.

"This will all come out of St Luke's pocket."

Anyone with any information is urged to call the police on 08452 777 444 quoting the log number 573 of April 28.

Police arrested a 54-year-old man from Plymouth in connection with the incident.

He was detained on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.