Two teenagers are stabbed outside St Albans school gates after ‘furious row turned into knifing’ – as video ‘shows machete-wielding youth outside college before lunging’
Two teenage students have been stabbed outside the gates of a St Albans college after a ‘row turned into knifing’, witnesses claimed.
CCTV footage taken from a business owner appears to show the moment a machete-wielding youth lunges at another person outside Oaklands College, in Hertfordshire yesterday.
Armed police swarmed Hatfield Road at around 3.30pm alongside a police helicopter and the East of England Ambulance Service.
A 16-year-old boy and 17-year-old boy were both seriously injured in the attack and paramedics rushed the teens to hospital where they were treated for stab wounds. Detectives have launched a manhunt to find the knifeman.
CCTV footage taken from a business owner appears to show the moment a machete-wielding youth lunges at a man outside Oaklands College, in St Albans, Hertfordshire
In the short clip a person can be seen backing away before the knifeman appears to lung at them
Security stood guard outside the college entrance yesterday, while patrols were increased following the knifing.
The college is yet to confirm its students were injured in the attack but said in a statement it was used as a ‘central space for the emergency services’ after the ‘serious incident’. The college opened as usual today and is ‘working closely with police’.
A friend of one of the victims says the attack was triggered by ‘a verbal altercation’ between two students with the stabbings alleged to have taken place outside a shop and inside the college’s grounds. He added that his friend was now in hospital after his arm was slashed with a machete.
‘The college was really good,’ he said. ‘Security escorted us off the premises in single file. There was one incident outside the shop, and another inside the college.’
The owner of the shop outside, where one of the stabbings is thought to have occurred, said he had never known anything like this in the 20 years he had been there.
He described the weapon used as ‘a massive big knife’ and said the students involved had been arguing in his shop before it happened.
Hertfordshire Constabulary has launched an appeal for information with the knifeman still at large
‘I won’t be introducing any more security,’ he said. ‘I’ve always done what I can to keep safe, including talking to police and providing CCTV.’
In a statement on X, Oaklands College said: ‘We can confirm there was a serious incident which happened near the college.
‘We are also aware of images circulating on social media of the emergency services on our campus. We can confirm our college was used as a central space for the emergency services.
‘We take the safety and security of our students and staff extremely seriously. It is our number one priority to ensure that the college community is completely safe place for learning and we will be increasing security presence tomorrow (Tuesday, October 10) for reassurance.’
A neighbour living in Hatfield Road said: ‘We’ve had some problems with litter and anti-social behaviour around the bus stop and shop in the past but this is generally a safe place to live.
‘It’s the college teenagers who are the issue. I have teenagers myself and I know not all teenagers are bad but sometimes some of them make stupid decisions. It’s telling that the college immediately said it happened off their premises when it clearly was on site as well.’
Inspector Paul Caro, of Hertfordshire Constabulary, said: ‘I want to reassure the public that this is being treated as an isolated incident, but police patrols are being increased in the area to safeguard others.
‘We are working hard to trace who was responsible for the incident yesterday afternoon.’
Anyone with any information should email Detective Sergeant Paul Wadsworth at [email protected], and quote ISR 584 (09/10/23).
Source: Read Full Article