Girl, 15, dies in stabbing
A 15-YEAR-OLD girl was stabbed to death and a 16-year-old boy injured in a double attack that has shocked residents of a market town.
The boy remained in hospital last night with serious but non-lifethreatening injuries.
One teenager has been arrested in connection with Friday’s attack, with police saying the three were believed to be known to each other.
Floral tributes were laid in Hexham, 20 miles east of Newcastle, and locals paid tribute online.
One woman posted: “So sad. She was a lovely wee girl from a lovely family.” Another girl said: “RIP. Fly high, gorgeous. You will be missed, you didn’t deserve any of this.”
A forensics team, along with detectives, were still at the scene yesterday.
Police were alerted by the ambulance service to a report of the teenagers being injured in the Priestpopple area of the town centre at around 5pm. A Northumbria
Police spokesman said: “Emergency services attended where the boy and girl – aged 16 and 15 – suffered serious injuries consistent with having been caused by a bladed article.
“They were taken to hospital, with the girl’s injuries described as life-threatening. Sadly, despite the best efforts of staff, the girl passed away later that evening.
“The boy suffered serious, nonlife-threatening injuries and remains in hospital. Both of their families are being supported by trained officers at this devastating time.”
The 16-year-old boy who was arrested on suspicion of assault and later on suspicion of murder remained in custody last night.
Local residents told of their shock, with pensioner Pam Donnelly saying: “Hexham was once a safe haven for tourists. Not any more. With shops closing it is becoming desolate. It is so tragic for this to happen in what once was a peaceful area.”
Fiona Beck, landlady at The Coach & Horses pub, said: “I can’t imagine how the parents of all three are feeling. It’s shocking that something like this should happen in a lovely town like Hexham.”
The town’s mayor, Derek Kennedy, said he, too, was shocked by the incident in an area with low crime rates. He said: “The carrying of knives is concerning, so many lives will be damaged by the events.
“Obviously this is really terrible news. Hexham has a very low crime rate so when major incidents happen, which they have done in the past, it’s a great shock to the town.
“We live in a community that doesn’t suffer a lot of crime. The whole town’s talking about it with the people involved being so young.”
Northumbria Police Chief Supt Sam Rennison, the area commander, said: “A teenage girl has sadly died, leaving her family completely devastated beyond words. Another boy has also been seriously injured.”
She added: “Our thoughts are very much with their loved ones at this awful time and we are supporting them in every way we can.
“We are determined to find out exactly what happened and bring anyone involved to justice.
“We have arrested a teenager and officers remain in the area to carry out a range of inquiries and offer reassurance to the community.”
Det Supt Aelf Sampson said: “While our investigation is at an early stage, we do believe all those involved are known to each other.”