A 12-year-old boy has been arrested after a youngster was seen wielding a knife in a playground of a school in Stockport, Greater Manchester, on Monday afternoon
This is the terrifying moment a boy was pictured wandering around a school playground as he wielded a huge knife.
The picture, taken from footage shared online, appears to show a child with the weapon around the end of the school day on Monday. Police confirmed a 12-year-old boy was arrested in Stockport, Greater Manchester, on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article.
In the footage, pupils at Reddish Vale High in Stockport can be heard asking “what you doing man?” and “why have you got a knife?” as he walks in between two males before starting to run. Parents have described the incident as “terrifying” and said they will not be sending their children to the school until they “can be reassured our children are safe”.
But the council insists the “safety of pupils and teachers is [its] highest priority” as the authority works with Greater Manchester Police during the investigation.
One mum, whose son is in Year 7 at the school, said her son called her from his afterschool club to tell her pupils had been escorted to the theatre to wait until parents could get them on Monday.
She told Manchester Evening News: “I won’t be sending my son in tomorrow and I don’t know if I will be for the rest of the week, or if I’ll be looking for a new school for him. It’s absolutely terrifying.”
Another mum, who shared the video of the incident, said the school had asked her to remove it, but she commented: “I haven’t because people have got a right to know that their kids are safe when they go to school and clearly they’re not.
“I’ve told school that I won’t be sending my daughter to school until I know what precautions have been put in place to keep our children safe.”
A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said “Officers were called to a school on Reddish Vale Road in Stockport at around 3:10pm this afternoon (Monday 10 February 2025) following reports of a person with a knife on the premises.
“Thankfully, no one sustained any serious injuries. A 12-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article. He has been taken into police custody.”
A spokesperson for Stockport Borough Council said: “We are aware of the distressing incident that took place at Reddish Vale School earlier today and we understand the concerns being shared by parents, students, and the wider community.
“The police were on site to deal with the incident and make the school safe and we are thankful no one was harmed. We are working closely with the school to support them and want to reassure everyone that the safety of pupils and teachers is our highest priority.”