Mother of knife crime victim Ronan Kanda calls on youths to 'think twice' after recent weapon attacks in Wolverhampton's West Park
Wolverhampton's West Park is the pride of the city and has even been crowned among the regions top ten park attractions.
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The parkland which is a favourite among families, dog walkers and visitors made the eighth spot in the list of top 10 best parks to visit in the region, according to Tripadvisor reviews.
It is a place to walk, run, catch up with friends or just take in the scenery - but in recent times, it has seen a disturbing trend of serious criminal incidents.
On March 7 Harleigh Hepworth, from Rugeley, was murdered in the park off Park Road West and on December 19 an unnamed 17-year-old suffered serious injuries after a suspected stabbing resulting in a major police investigation.
Now Pooja Kanda, the mother of Ronan Kanda who was stabbed yards from his Mount Road in Lanesfield on June 29, 2022 in a case of mistaken identity, has called on young people tempted to carry knives to think twice before picking up weapons.
She said: "To hear of another stabbing in West Park is devastating.
"A place which is supposed to be a nice family park seems now to be a hotspot for violent stabbings.
"We urge young people to think twice before picking up a knife.
"Your actions can ruin the lives of victims, their families, and your own life forever."
Stabbing - December
Most recently, a 17-year-old boy was airlifted to hospital with "serious injuries" after being found with a stab wound at West Park on December 19, with police and ambulance crews called to the scene just after 1pm.
Officers believe the stabbing happened near to the park at the junction of Park Road East and Devon Road.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We were called to reports of a stabbing near to the junction of Park Road East and Devon Road at 1.06pm.
