"We need zero tolerance on knife crime”: Chesterfield MP issues reassurance to parents after teenage boy taken to hospital with stab wound – and pledges to meet with Home Secretary over knife crime concerns

The incident took place at Storrs Road in Chesterfield just before 3.20pm on Friday, April 17, when a 16-year-old boy, a Brookfield Community School student, was taken to hospital with a stab wound.

He has since been released home, where he is recovering.

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the incident and police investigation is currently ongoing.

Commenting on the incident, Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins said: “My thoughts are with the young person involved and their family following this deeply concerning incident.

"I’m relieved to hear they are now home recovering, and I want to thank the emergency services and members of the public who acted so quickly to help."

The incident has raised a lot of concerns among parents across Chesterfield, with some saying they were worried about safety of their children on the way to school and back.

Addressing parents’ concerns, Mr Perkins said: “As a parent myself, this will naturally be extremely worrying for parents as well as children, but it’s important to stress that incidents of this nature are extremely rare in Chesterfield and across Britain do not reflect our community.

"The police moved swiftly to make an arrest and are carrying out a thorough investigation, which I will be following closely, it is important that we ensure that everything that can be done to keep children safe is being done.

“I spoke to the police soon after the incident on Friday and was reassured that this is an isolated incident and there are no known ongoing risks to others.

"I appreciate that parents will be frustrated that full information regarding the incident, arrest and investigation cannot be fully shared at this time, but due to the age of the people involved, there are restrictions and safeguarding rules that have to be observed.

“The incident took place off school grounds, and I know that the Head and all the staff at Brookfield will be speaking to students and parents to provide them with reassurance and support.”

Mr Perkins has additionally addressed serious nature of knife crime and pledged to meet with Home Secretary MP Shabana Mahmood to discuss the issue further.

He said: "We need zero tolerance on knife crime.

"Carrying a knife is a serious criminal offence in itself, rightly leading to jail time, it must be policed like that and our justice system must also reflect this severity, I will be raising this incident with the home secretary to see what else can be done to rid our streets of knives and ensure our children can go to and from school safely.

“I will also be reaching out to the child’s parents to hear from them.”

Commenting on the incident on Friday, a spokesperson for Brookfield Community School said: “We are aware of a serious incident on Chatsworth Road this evening involving a student attending Brookfield Community School.

"Parents of the student have been informed and the police are investigating.”