Woman stabbed outside school at drop-off time as police swarm street

21 May 2024 , 11:22

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Bedfordshire Police are investigating the stabbing of a woman in Luton

A woman has been left seriously injured after being stabbed outside a school in Luton during the school run.

Bedfordshire Police said a man was arrested and the woman was taken to hospital after the attack on Dunstable Road, Luton, left her with serious injuries. Officers say the incident happened at roughly 8.30am on Tuesday, May 21 - when most parents would have been out dropping their children to school.

All the children were said to be safe inside the school, which Bedfordshire Police did not name, but officers have continued to patrol the area for reassurance. The force added that there is no wider threat to the public.

In a statement released this morning, the force said: "Bedfordshire Police is investigating the stabbing of a woman near a school in Dunstable Road, Luton shortly after 8.30am this morning. "The victim has been taken to hospital with serious injuries.

It continued: "One man has been arrested and is currently in police custody. All children are safe within the school and there is no wider threat to the public. Police will maintain a strong presence in the area for reassurance."

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Locals or passers by in the area have been encouraged to call the force on 101 quoting reference 84, if they have any information that could help officers in their investigation.

It comes as alarming figures released this year saw a rise in cases of knife crime throughout England and Wales – with almost 50,000 incidents recorded in the space of a year.

Ministers now face intense pressure to deal with the knife crime epidemic, which claimed 247 lives last year. Latest data shows there were 48,716 knife offences reported to 41 of the 43 police forces in the 12 months to September 2023 - up 5% compared to the previous year. These included over 22,000 assaults using knives that resulted in injury.

Youth knife crime has also been on the rise as experts warned violence on the streets is now 'overspilling into schools'. Anne Longfield CBE, chair of the Commission on Young Lives, has said that "barely a week goes by" without a violent incident involving young children.

She added the Government should see youth knife crime as "the emergency it is" and take action to "prevent these tragedies happening".

Zahra Khaliq