Knife-wielding teenager who threatened girls arrested thanks to quick-thinking dad - police update

A 17-year-old boy from Waterlooville was detained by police in Kingston Crescent after following young teenage girls from Queens Road, Fratton, before approaching them and pulling out a knife in Arnaud Close, Buckland, police said.

In a social media post, one of the victims said the male confronted them and said: “Can I speak to you?” But when he was told to “go away”, the girl said he “lifted his top which revealed a knife handle and top part of the blade and replied, ‘you wanna play that game?’.”

One of the terrified girls rang up her dad who raced to the scene before calling police at 10.20pm and searching the area for the male who was spotted and started to threateningly shout “shank”.

Officers attended the scene and arrested the boy just before 11pm. As he was being arrested one of the girls claimed the male said: “I’ve got something on me that would hurt you.”

Police said the incident started when a 16-year-old girl received messages from a male she did not know before being followed. A force spokesperson added: “It was reported that the girl and a friend confronted the boy on Arnaud Close, who showed them that he had a knife. They fled the area and called a parent to collect them.

“Officers attended and located an 17-year-old boy from Waterlooville on Kingston Crescent, who was arrested on suspicion of stalking, possessing a knife in a public place and threatening a person with a blade in a public place.”

Giving an update on the probe, police said the boy has been “conditionally bailed until Monday 9 July whilst enquiries continue”.