Sheffield school attack: Boy, 17 arrested on suspicion of attempted murder
- Published
A 17-year-old boy is being held in custody on suspicion of attempted murder
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after two women and a child were injured in an attack at a school in Sheffield.
All three suffered minor injuries in the incident at Birley Academy, with one of the women thought to have been attacked with a piece of broken glass.
The school was put into lockdown following the attack and pupils described having to hide under desks.
South Yorkshire Police said the boy remained in custody.
Speaking outside the school on Wednesday afternoon Assistant Chief Constable Dan Thorpe said officers were called to the scene at about 08:50 BST.
"The two adults suffered minor injuries, one from a sharp object which is believed to be broken glass," he said.
"The child was assaulted and thankfully has no visible injuries. But I know this will have been a frightening ordeal for everyone involved."
The force later confirmed both of the adults were women in their 20s.
All three were checked over at the scene by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and did not require hospital treatment, a spokesperson said.
Assistant Chief Constable Dan Thorpe said officers would remain in the area in the coming days
He went on to praise staff at the school for their efforts to keep students safe and said police would remain in the area in the days to come.
He added: "Birley is a close-knit community and while these events concluded in a swift arrest it will no doubt cause ongoing concern."
'Lights off, doors locked'
The school was placed into lockdown on Wednesday morning following the assault, with pupils not allowed to leave until about 11:00 BST.
Speaking at the scene, Sophie Jones said she had received a text message from her daughter saying the school was "in lockdown, the lights had gone off, the doors were locked and she was hiding under her desk".
"It was really scary. I asked if she was joking because it seemed a really surreal situation.
"She has told me she was OK since then and I'm quite reassured that she is safe."
A number of parents said they had received messages from their children to say they were hiding under their desks
Nathan Henderson said he had rushed to the school after his daughter had messaged to say she was "under a table crying".
"I was a bit overwhelmed [when I got here] so I nearly climbed over the gates at one point," he said.
He said initially there had been a lot of "conflicting information" and rumours "flying about" but he had been reassured that she was safe.
Another woman at the scene said she had come straight from work after being alerted by her son.
"He said, 'If you know what's happening or have seen on social media just know I'm safe, there's been a lockdown'," she said.
"I will feel better once I see him, in these circumstances you are always going to worry even with the school telling you that your child is fine."
One parent thanked the school for protecting the children, saying: "At the end of the day they have kept them safe as much as they could."
Confirming the school would reopen on Thursday, head teacher Victoria Hall praised students and staff as well as thanking parents and the local community for their support.
Police were called to Birley Academy at about 08:50 BST on Wednesday
Speaking in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said MPs' "thoughts" were with those injured in the attack in Sheffield.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said she was "disturbed" to hear about what had happened.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, she said, external: "We're in touch with the school and my thoughts are with those injured and all the school community affected by this frightening situation."
Meanwhile, Daniel Kebede, leader of the National Education Union, the UK's largest education union, urged the government to do more to tackle youth violence to ensure teachers and pupils were safe.
"Our thoughts are with the staff, pupils and parents at The Birley Academy in Sheffield and with the people who were injured," he said.
"This is another shocking incident happening on school premises. Violence has no place in our schools and colleges."
Mr Kebede said the government needed to recognise the scale of the problem and adopt a public health approach to tackling violence in schools.
Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said the events in Sheffield had been "worrying and traumatic" for staff and pupils at Birley Academy.
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