Boy injured in school stab attack

A 14-year-old schoolboy was stabbed with a craft knife during an art lesson at a Northampton school, police said.

Officers were called to Northampton School for Boys on Wednesday afternoon following reports of a teenager suffering a knife wound.

The boy remains in hospital where he is being treated for a chest injury. It is not thought to be life-threatening.

Another pupil, aged 14, who was arrested in connection with the stabbing, has been released on bail.

Det Ch Insp Steve Howard, of Northampton Police, said: "This was a classroom incident which sadly resulted in a young boy receiving a knife wound.

"But I must stress that the weapon used was a craft knife which was made available to pupils for a lesson. This was not a case where a knife was brought into the school."

Mr Howard stressed that the county did not have a problem with knife crime.

'Horrible incident'

He said: "This is a horrible incident but it should not be taken out of context and it does not signify that Northamptonshire has a problem with knife crime.

"In this county we have a robust policy on stop and search and we also vigorously promote the message that it is a crime to carry a knife, in a bid to prevent this kind of incident from happening.

A spokesman for Northampton School for Boys said police and the school were carrying out inquiries.

He said: "An incident occurred in an art lesson in Northampton School for Boys in which a boy was injured by a classroom craft tool.

"As a result one boy was taken to hospital and another boy was taken to Weston Favell Police Station.

"At this point the school has been asked to make no further comments whilst both police and school inquiries still continue."