A Bulgarian teenager has been charged with attempted murder after a man in his 60s was stabbed on a golf course footpath and left fighting for his life.

The victim, who has not been named but is understood to be from Stafford, was attacked on a public footpath running through Stafford Castle golf course shortly before 7pm on May 14.

He remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

Staffordshire Police said a 17-year-old boy, who is white and of Bulgarian nationality, was arrested on Tuesday evening before being charged with attempted murder and theft from a shop.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons because of his age, is due to appear at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre today.

A 30-year-old man who had also been arrested in connection with the investigation has since been released with no further action.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Fitzgerald previously described the arrest as a ‘significant development’ in the investigation, which he said was continuing ‘at pace’.

He added: ‘The victim remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition. His family are being supported by our family liaison officers.

Police previously released CCTV footage of a suspect as they hunted the alleged attacker 

A police cordon and forensic tent next to a putting green near where the man in his 60s was allegedly stabbed 

‘The response from the community has been invaluable with lots of people sharing information and CCTV footage.

‘However, I must ask people not to use AI or other software to enhance any of the images we have shared.

‘It is incredibly harmful to our investigation, particularly when arrests have been made and legal proceedings are active.’

Police have urged the public not to speculate on the case while legal proceedings are ongoing.