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A teenage boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death in Northumberland.
Northumbria police were called shortly after 5.10pm on Friday to a report of a teenage boy and girl injured in the Priestpopple area of Hexham.
Emergency services attended where the boy and girl – aged 16 and 15 respectively – suffered serious injuries “consistent with having been caused by a bladed article”.
They were both taken to hospital, where the girl died later that evening – the boy suffered serious, non-life-threatening injuries.
The force said: “Both of their families are being supported by specially trained officers at this devastating time.
“An investigation was launched, and a 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of assault, and later on suspicion of murder. He remains in police custody.
“Our thoughts are with all loved ones at this awful time, and we are supporting them in every way we can. We are determined to find out what happened & bring anyone involved to justice.”
Ch Supt Sam Rennison, of Northumbria police, said it is “tragic news” and that police believe all those involved are known to each other.
At a press conference on Saturday, she said: “First and foremost, our hearts go out to her loved ones at this truly devastating time.
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“A 16-year-old boy who was also injured during the incident remains in hospital in a stable condition. He and his family are also very much in our thoughts.
“An investigation was immediately launched and while this is at the very early stages, we do believe all those involved are known to each other.
“We would like to thank the public for their continued support and cooperation. In particular, those who tried to provide assistance yesterday to the injured boy and girl at the scene.”
Derek Kennedy, the mayor of Hexham, told PA: “It’s an absolute tragedy, the town is in complete shock, to lose one of our children who attends a local high school is just horrendous.
“Parents are really anxious for the health of their children because they’re all a part of this community, the schools are all really anxious that their children are really feeling the pain and suffering and shock of such an awful incident.
“In the Hexham community we have a very low crime rate, generally, it’s a community that looks after one another, we were awarded the happiest place to live in Great Britain last year.
“It’s a very warm and loving community so for a tragedy such as this to happen, we always find it much more difficult and it’s knocked everyone for six.
“To happen to such a young person and the alleged perpetrator to be a young person, in the high street at 5pm, is just shocking, everyone is just shocked and struggling to come to terms with it, it will ruin so many lives.”
