Southsea Common stabbing: Here's all we know so far after boy, 15, stabbed in chest and two teenagers arrested on suspicion of attempted murder
Videos were posted on social media of paramedics treating a person near Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Monday evening around 9.30pm.
More than five police vehicles were in the area before it was cordoned off. Officers remained guarding the scene with the cordon still in place early on Tuesday morning.
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Hide AdPolice subsequently confirmed a 15-year-old boy was stabbed in the chest and had been taken to Southampton General Hospital in a serious condition.
The force said a 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man from Southsea were both arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remain in police custody.
The memorial remained cordoned off into this afternoon with more than a dozen officers remaining in the area as investigations continue.
Police urged anyone with information to come forward as well as telling anyone with concerns to contact officers on patrols.
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Hide AdMeanwhile residents and visitors said they were shocked to discover such a distressing crime could take place in what is still seen as a safe and care-free part of the city.
Friends Tracey Colbert-Smith and Rebecca Chaplin, who came from Cheltenham to celebrate Tracey’s daughter graduating from the University of Portsmouth on Monday, were stunned by the incident.
Tracey said: ‘You don’t really think of Portsmouth like this. When my daughter was choosing a university, we looked at some big city universities and thought, “let’s look at a nice seaside location”.
‘It was one of the reasons we chose Portsmouth. You don’t expect it – and only 15. It’s terrible.’
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Hide AdRebecca added: ‘It’s happening everywhere – we’ve had stabbings in Cheltenham.’
Daytrippers Andy from Fittleworth and Dawn from Havant passed the memorial last night while police cordoned off the scene.
Andy said: ‘There was an awful lot of police down here – there were at least 50.
‘I live in the country so this sort of thing doesn’t happen around there, but if I lived here with young children I would be concerned.
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Hide Ad‘The problem is that the law isn’t tough enough to prevent this.’
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Dawn agreed: ‘There’s always gangs going around. It’s got a lot worse.
‘My son had a gun pulled on him near where we lived when he was 18.
‘But things like this are still shocking.’