'Knife crime terrifies me': Residents speak out after West Midlands school placed in lockdown and two boys, 14, arrested

Those are the words of a resident living near Leasowes High School in Halesowen, where pupils were placed in lockdown on Thursday afternoon after people were reported outside carrying knives.

Police were called to the Kent Road school just after 3pm and arrested two boys, aged 14, in the nearby Hollies Road on suspicion of carrying an offensive weapon. Officers also recovered a machete.

Pupils returned to the secondary school as normal on Friday morning, having been placed in lockdown conditions for 45 minutes the previous afternoon.

Though it was business as usual at the school, residents described feeling "shocked" about what had happened just a stone throw away from their homes.

One woman, who has lived near to the school for the past five years, said the area was "starting to go downhill" and she fears for her safety at night.

She told the Express & Star: "I was really shocked. There were crowds of people outside, but I didn't think anything really, I thought there was just something on at the school.

"When they said it was knife crime I thought it is a bit close to home. I'm very concerned [about knife crime], I live on my own as well so I feel very vulnerable.

"I don't feel safe, I don't go out at night unless I'm with somebody. If I come back [home] I always come back with somebody and they see me in, so I don't feel safe. I don't think many people do really.

"It is starting to go downhill. I have noticed lots of lads hanging around here and I've never noticed that until the last few months. I don't know whether this is a meeting point or what."

The woman, who asked not to be named, added that she would feel reassured if there was a higher police presence in the area.

Fellow resident Serdar Ekizoglu, whose son attends Leasowes High School, meanwhile said he feels the area is safe and that knife crime can happen anywhere.

The 43-year-old said: "I'm still happy with the school because they put them in lockdown straight away and let us know about it with texts and emails and everything.

"I think they were just two teenagers, that can happen in any area anyway so I still feel like its safe.

"I can't imagine my son carrying a weapon like that. I trust the country and the police and everything so I don't think it will happen again in this area because they will take it seriously."

Another woman, who has lived in the area since 1978, said she has seen it "change" over the years.

She said: "I think the school are more proactive now. It's such a big school now but we don't really have any problems.

"[Knife crime] very much concerns me. You read about it all the time. It terrifies me.

"I think they ought to do more about checking kids as they are going into school to see if they are carrying knives.

"It's terrifying now thinking what might happen. It has become a frightening society now and especially young kids think it is okay to carry knives, it is the culture now."

Another resident, who has lived off the nearby Gower Road for the past 50 years, said knife crime is "getting worse".

She said: "We have never had trouble with the children or anything. I was surprised to hear about it. [Knife crime] seems to be getting worse."

In a statement on Friday morning, West Midlands Police said it was continuing to question the two suspects in connection with the incident outside the school.

A spokesperson for the force said: "The boys remain in custody for questioning."

The Express & Star has contacted Leasowes High School for comment.