A 25-year-old British backpacker has been stabbed in the back by a teenager in an Australian beach resort, local media is reporting.

Police were called to Noosa on the Queensland coast in the early hours of Sunday.

It is thought an argument developed just before 4am on Hastings Street, officers said.

The 15-year-old attacker then left the scene – reportedly a bus stop – and returned with a knife and a bottle, stabbing the man in the back and wrist, Queensland Police said.

While media outlets said the victim was British, police have not confirmed his nationality.

The suspect was detained by members of the public before being arrested and later charged with assault occasioning bodily harm.

The victim was seriously injured and taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital, ABC News reported.

He is expected to be discharged on Monday, 7 News said.

Mandy Lopez, who lives in Noosa, said the attack was “horrible” and “pretty scary news to hear”.

She told ABC: “This is a healthy space … It’s definitely a safe area. But hearing this news, I feel quite shaken up.”

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Queensland Police said in a statement: “Police will allege a verbal argument between a 15-year-old male and a 25-year-old man escalated just before 4am, before the youth left and returned with a bottle and a knife and a physical altercation resulted in the 25-year-old being stabbed in the back and wrist.”

The force added: “Bystanders restrained the 15-year-old boy until police arrived, arresting him. The 15-year-old has been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm.

“Investigators urge anyone with information or relevant vision to contact police. Investigations are continuing.”

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