Citizen's arrest after man stabs woman with knife

A woman in her 20s has been stabbed in a random attack on a street. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

A woman has been stabbed by a stranger as she was walking down the street, with bystanders intervening to arrest the knife-wielding man.

The woman in her 20s, was walking in Melbourne's St Kilda East when a man approached on Tuesday morning, police said.

He slashed her on the arm with a knife about 8.40am on Hotham Street.

Her attacker tried to run away, but members of the public restrained him until police arrived.

The 44-year-old St Kilda East man was arrested and taken to hospital under police guard with minor injuries.

The victim was taken to hospital for treatment on her non-life-threatening injuries.

A man in his 30s, who helped with the citizen’s arrest was also taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Jewish synagogue, library and learning centre, The Yeshiva Centre, is located on Hotham Street near where the incident took place.

But a police spokesman said there was "nothing to suggest" the stabbing was religiously motivated.

"Police will allege the parties were not known to each other," the spokesman said.

Police have called for witnesses of the incident to come forward.

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