Teen stabbed after attack 'by armed schoolchildren' in Grove Park (From News Shopper)

Teen stabbed after attack 'by armed schoolchildren' in Grove Park

4:40pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in News By Mark Chandler

The scene of yesterday's stabbing

A TEENAGER was stabbed and rushed to hospital yesterday after being attacked by armed schoolchildren, it has been claimed.

Witness Keisha Palmer, 26, said a boy and a girl carrying knives and another two boys armed with a baseball bat and a metal pole attacked the teenager at around 4pm in Downham Way, Grove Park.

She said around 30 other youths clad in school uniform gathered around to egg on the violence.

Ms Palmer said: “I saw this group of kids shouting and standing away from the crowd saying ‘come on then’.

“Two boys got attacked by about five or six others. He was beaten with the metal pole and they dropped him to the floor.”

She said: “He was getting beaten, kicked, punched, stabbed and everything.”

Ms Palmer said the boy was stabbed twice while one youth picked up a table from a nearby second-hand furniture store and hurled it at another boy.

The fight broke up but further scuffles continued along Baring Road while shop workers rushed to help the injured youngster.

As police arrived, Ms Palmer claimed one teen attacked an officer as he attempted to search the youth.

Witnesses claimed that police, who often supervise schoolchildren at kicking out time, had not been so visible in recent days.

A Lewisham police spokeswoman said the boy was 16 years old and had sustained a head injury and two stab wounds to the leg. He is in a stable condition in hospital.

Two 16-year-old boys who were arrested on suspicion of causing GBH have been bailed pending further enquires.

Detective Sergeant Ahmed El-Ghonaimy from Lewisham CID said: "We have established that the victim made his way from Galahad Road on to Downham Way and once there was involved in an altercation with a large number of youths- around 15 to 20 - prior to being assaulted.

"We know at the time of this incident a number of people would have been making their way home from school or would have been passing through the area."

Anyone with information should call Lewisham CID on 0208 28484372 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.