MANCHESTER • Ten people, including two children, were taken to hospital yesterday with pellet-type wounds after reports of a shooting in Manchester in northern England, police said.

Officers were called at around 2.30am local time to the Moss Side neighbourhood of the city, where a party had been held after an annual Caribbean Carnival nearby, the Agence France-Presse reported.

"Nine people went to hospital, including two children, with pellet-type wounds that are not believed to be serious," a statement from Greater Manchester Police said.

"A 10th person - a man - remains in a stable but serious condition in hospital, with injuries to his legs."

Police said they hoped the less seriously injured victims would begin to leave hospital during the course of the day.

"This was a reckless act that could have had devastating consequences with families and friends losing loved ones," Chief Superintendent Wasim Chaudhry said.

In a message to the local community, he added: "Guns have no place on our streets and we want to assure you we are doing everything we can to find the person or people responsible."

Moss Side anti-violence campaigner Erinma Bell told the BBC she understood that the shooting had been carried out by one man. This has not been confirmed by police. No suspect has been arrested for the shooting.

The Caribbean Carnival, held annually since 1972 to feature Caribbean culture, music and flamboyant costumes on the streets of Manchester, draws thousands of people.

This year's edition had started on Saturday with a parade involving local schools and community groups through Moss Side, a neighbourhood which has spent years trying to reinvent its image of drugs, gangs and violence. Celebrations were set to continue yesterday.