The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A mum has called on parents to unite against knife crime after a teenager was stabbed at a house party for her daughter’s 16th birthday on Saturday.
A 16-year-old boy suffered non life-threatening injuries after being stabbed in the stomach and leg at the party.
Word about the party had spread through social media and dozens of youngsters who were not invited swarmed the house in Spalding’s The Parkway.
Mum Lesa Jeffery described how panic ensued after the gatecrashers fused the lights, plunging the house into darkness, before pulling a knife.
She described the youngsters as “feral”, saying there was a gang of about eight teenagers aged around 15 who all turned up carrying knives, looking to cause trouble.
She and husband Michael were among several adults there and said: “It started out as a lovely evening for my daughter and her friends. Everyone was dancing to the music and just enjoying themselves.
“As is always the way with these things, word had spread on social media and things started to get a bit out of hand, but it was fine until this gang turned up and then it went bad really quickly.
“They fused the lights and this lad was stabbed. I have spoken to his dad and I believe he is going to be okay, but it could have ended very differently.
“I was so angry to start with but now I’m shaken and my daughter is very upset. He could have died, we could have had a real tragedy on our hands.”
Mrs Jeffery said the gang remained at the scene until past 3am even when the police arrived.
She said: “Afterwards it all spilled out onto the street, which was littered with about 300 nitrous oxide canisters which they must have been taking.
“They just don’t care. They think they are above the law. They are 15-year-old wannabe gangsters.
“Officers had to taser one of them.”
Mrs Jeffery has now set up a Facebook group where she hopes parents can keep each other informed as, since the party on Saturday she has been told of several similar incidents.
She believes there have been several parties gatecrashed by a knife-carrying gang, who she believes come from out of the area.
She said: “I think we are naive in Spalding and think that knife crime doesn’t exist here.
“But that’s just not true.
“These kids were not carrying tiny little pocket knives, they were big knives, and the danger is if our kids think they need to start carrying knives to protect themselves before you know it we are the next London or Manchester.
“We need to stamp it out now and we can’t do that if we don’t know what’s going on.
“I hope people will join the Facebook group and share knowledge so we can protect our young people.”
The Facebook group is called Parents of Spalding.
Lincolnshire Police confirmed they were called to a disturbance at The Parkway, where a 15-year-old boy from Spalding was arrested on suspicion of assault by beating, possession of a knife, wounding with intent, theft of a pedal cycle.
He has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
The boy has been charged with two offences of criminal damage and assaulting an emergency worker.
A spokesman said: “If anyone has any information that they believe could help our investigation, place call 101 with incident reference number 527 of September 7.”
