THREE men have been arrested in dawn raids after a teenager was slashed with a knife in an attempted carjacking.

Knife-wielding thugs slashed the 18-year-old driver's fingers and held a blade to his throat in a bid to hijack his red Alfa Romeo in Walkden on Saturday.

Teams of officers swooped on three addresses and carried out search warrants yesterday morning.

An 18-year-old man from Clifton, and two men from Little Hulton and Walkden, both aged 20, were arrested on suspicion of robbery and are in police custody.

A number of items were recovered during searches of the houses, including items of clothing.

The incident happened at 9pm as the driver parked near the Lucky Chip Shop in Rydal Crescent.

The driver was about to get out of the car with three friends when a gang approached them. One of the raiders stuck his head through the driver's window and held a large kitchen knife to the driver's throat.

He demanded the keys and told the driver to get out of the car but he refused.

Instead he put his arm up to protect himself and was sliced across his hand, suffering severe cuts to his fingers.

One of the knifeman's accomplices grabbed the keys from the ignition, but the friends of the driver, who was bleeding badly, pleaded for their return so they could take him hospital.

The gang then threw the keys into the car and fled.

The victim, who has not been named, was taken to Hope Hospital, Salford, and later transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital for microsurgery.