A LATE-NIGHT chat with strangers turned nasty on Sunday, ending with a man in hospital with a stabbed buttock.
A group of friends were in the Food and Wine Store on Kentish Town Road for an after-pub snack when a teenager started up conversation at the till, police said.
Friendly at first, he suddenly turned violent when joined by another teen and pulled out a silver-handled butterfly knife, plunging it into the left buttock of one of the group.
There was no small talk from the attacker’s companion, who punched another of the friends in the face in front of stunned shoppers and staff.
The attackers ran off down Angler’s Lane, making no attempt to steal anything from their victims.
Both were described as around 17.
The boy with a knife was white with the blues eyes and stubble; his companion had much darker skin.
A police helicopter was unable to find the fleeing thugs.
Both victims, aged 22 and 33, were discharged later that night after receiving hospital treatment for their injuries.