Girl appears in court charged with attempted murder

The 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested by police following an attack in Cranford Road, Petersfield.

A 15-year-old girl was taken to Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, for treatment to a minor injury.

She is now recovering at home.

Police were called to Cranford Road at about 9.35am on Monday.

There was a strong police presence in the road yesterday as two female officers were on patrol throughout the day.

The 14-year-old appeared before Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court charged with one count of attempted murder and one count of threatening a person with a blade or sharp-pointed article.

The attack has left the close-knit community in a state of shock.

Eva Marshall, 38, from Petersfield, said: ‘It’s really shocking.

‘Why did this happen? No-one knows why it happened. We want to know the reason.’

A 78-year-old woman living in Cranford Road told The News: ‘I’m shocked.

‘You hear of these thing happening in the papers, but you don’t think it’s going to be in your own back yard.’

Another resident living in Cranford Road, who did not want to be named, said: ‘Petersfield has always been the sort of place where nothing happens.

‘I think it’s tragic.

‘I have never heard of things like this happening round here. It’s so very sad.’

The 14-year-old was remanded to appear at Winchester Crown Court on May 25.