17-year-old charged after machete attack at Royal Leamington Spa College
Police describe the incident as isolated; campus lockdown lifted as investigations continue.
A 17-year-old boy has been charged after a student was attacked with a machete at Royal Leamington Spa College in Warwickshire. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested yesterday at his home address following the incident, which police described as terrifying. He has been charged with affray and possession of a blade on school premises, and with threatening a person with a blade on school premises. The youngster is set to appear at Coventry magistrates' court this afternoon.
Chief Inspector Simon Ryan, policing commander for South Warwickshire, said: "Thank you to the local community for your patience and support while we managed the incident yesterday, which resulted in a heightened emergency services presence around the college. We recognise the concerns that the incident has raised but can reassure people that it was an isolated incident. We're aware of footage circulating on social media, and this is forming part of our ongoing enquiries."
Two other boys who were arrested outside the college in a separate incident on suspicion of violent disorder have been released on bail. Suspects and victims under the age of 18 are automatically given anonymity, officials said. Any attempt to breach this could compromise legal proceedings, so authorities urged people to refrain from sharing material that could identify those involved.
The college announced yesterday it had gone into lockdown following advice from police. "We’d like to thank students, staff and parents for their patience and cooperation during this time," the college said on its website. "The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff are of utmost importance to us, and we will continue to work with external agencies to ensure our campuses are a safe place to study and work."
Investigators continue to review surveillance footage and social-media posts as part of ongoing inquiries. Police have described the incident as isolated and said there is no indication of a wider threat to the campus or community at this time.