The final stabbing took place in a Renfrew pub

Two men are still in hospital after the attacks on Wednesday.

Three of the victims had just stepped off buses in Paisley. Police were seeking potential witnesses on Thursday as well as studying CCTV footage.

Officers warned people not to approach the suspect, a man in his mid-20s to early 30s wearing a dark jacket.

The Strathclyde force said the attacks were random and without any apparent motive.

On Thursday evening officers took to the streets of Paisley to reassure the public and seek witnesses.

All but one of the attacks took place in the space of an hour-and-a-quarter in Paisley on Wednesday afternoon.

Where stabbings occurred Stabbing 1: Lochfield Road, Paisley Stabbing 2: Piazza Shopping Centre, High Street, Paisley Stabbing 3: High Street, Paisley Stabbing 4: Marjory Drive, Gallowhill, Paisley Stabbing 5: The Kind Man's Pub, Hairst Street, Renfrew Stabbing victims tell of ordeal

The first victim was a 29-year-old man who got off a bus and was going down steps leading from Lochfield Road to Pine Street at about 1600 GMT when he was approached by a man and attacked with a knife.

Then a 30-year-old man was stabbed near the Piazza shopping centre.

The third victim was a 55-year-old man who was walking along Paisley High Street.

The fourth was a 44-year-old man who had got off a bus on Marjory Drive in the Gallowhill area when he was approached by a man and struck with a knife.

A 26-year-old man was then stabbed at The Kind Man's pub, Hairst Street, Renfrew, at about 2125 GMT.

Manageress Jeanie Buckley said: "A couple of English boys were sitting having a drink watching the football when another man came in and ordered a drink.

"One of the English men went to the toilet and the man went in at the same time.

We do not want to instil fear in people but the attacker is still at large Ch Supt Kenneth Murray

"The English boy came back out asking to phone an ambulance because he'd been stabbed."

One customer said the man lifted his jumper revealing lots of blood and then noticed that he had also been stabbed in the arm.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Chief Superintendent Kenneth Murray said: "The description we have at the moment may well link the incidents to the one suspect.

"The close locations of the first four incidents would lead us to believe that one man is involved in all of these attacks."

The attacker struck at the Piazza shopping centre

The public response had been good following the attacks, but Mr Murray said police required "urgent assistance" to track down the suspect.

He said: "We would be concerned that there is another assault of this type.

"We do not want to instil fear in people but the attacker is still at large.

"We have a guy who, for whatever reason, committed five unprovoked incidents, four of them serious."

The force denied being slow informing the public of the potential danger from the attacker.