A SCOTTISH teenager has died after being stabbed on a night out in a Yorkshire village.

Craig Hepburn, 19, from Renfrewshire, was attacked by a group of men in Marsden, near Huddersfield, shortly after midnight on Saturday.

His friend, aged 18 and also thought to be from Renfrewshire, was also stabbed but survived the attack and is expected to live after undergoing emergency surgery.

Two men, aged 36 and 21, were yesterday arrested on suspicion of murder in premises away from the scene and were being held in custody last night.

Tributes were paid to the teenager on social media site Twitter yesterday, including one that read: "My neighbour for 15 years Craig Hepburn was stabbed to death last night, 19 years old, what kind of world do we live in?"

Detective Superintendent Paul Taylor, from West Yorkshire Police, said the pair were returning to a relative's house when the attack occurred.

The older boy collapsed after suffering multiple knife wounds in "a confrontation" with attackers who were probably strangers to the victims. The motive is believed to be a falling out between two groups of men on their way home from a night out, he said.

"They were having a night out in the village and it looks as if there was a confrontation in the street. We want to hear from anyone with information."

The younger teenager had been too unwell to help police with their investigation.

Mr Taylor said police were looking for at least one knife. The area where the attack took place has been cordoned off.

Murder squad detectives were yesterday conducting house-to-house inquiries and studying CCTV footage.

The surviving teenager was still conscious and able to say a few words to police alerted by paramedics to the scene. But he had lost a lot of blood and detectives have been unable to speak to him again because he is undergoing surgery.

He remains in intensive care but his injuries are now not thought to be life-threatening, Mr Taylor said.

He added: "What happened is still a secret which lies between whoever did this, the dead man, and the man now in surgery who we cannot speak to.

"The two victims are friends who were both down from Scotland visiting relatives and staying in the village for a few days.

"They were having a night out in the village and it looks as if there was a confrontation in the street.

"They had enjoyed the night and were making their way back to the relatives' house where they were staying for a few days.

"They were just a couple of lads enjoying a night out. The murder weapon was a knife but we have not found it yet and there may be more than one.

"It is unlikely they knew their attackers because they did not know anyone else in the village.

"Places like Marsden are small places, close-knit communities where everyone knows everyone else. Someone will want to sort this out quickly and we want to hear from anyone with any information.

"Both families have been informed and are en route from Scotland."

Officers had been alerted by an ambulance crew at 12 minutes past midnight on Saturday morning.

Both victims were taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary but Mr Hepburn later died from his injuries. The 18-year-old remains in hospital in a "poorly" condition.

Marsden is a large village seven miles west of Huddersfield with a population of 4440.