POLICE have assured Southampton residents that tackling knife crime and serious violence remains a priority.

Two teenagers were stabbed during an attack in Warburton Road in the Thornhill area of the city on Wednesday evening.

A row of shops was tapped off with police remaining in the area until Thursday carrying out investigations and patrols.

One of the teens suffered minor injuries and the other a stab wound to his hand.

A 31-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of affray and assaulting an emergency worker.

One man described his shock at the stabbings and how he had heard shouting outside his home.

Meanwhile, other residents told a Daily Echo reporter at the scene that knife crime seems to be a growing problem across Southampton and the rest of country.

In January last year, local teen James Laurie was stabbed to death at the age of just 17.

The 15-year-old boy accused of murdering him was found not guilty of the offence and acquitted.

More recently, a 14-year-old teen stabbed a man in the neck and stomach during a vicious attack in Barnfield Road last October. He was charged with attempted murder, but a jury was unable to reach a verdict. He will be sentenced this month for grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article.

Commenting on the issue of knife crime in Southampton, Detective Chief Inspector Dave Brown said: “Tackling knife crime requires a multi-agency response across our community, the public, private and charity sectors to deliver long-term change and tackle the root causes of violent crime.

“Most serious violence remains a district priority as the nature of these offences causes the most harm to people. In addition to stop and searches, throughout the year we carry out several local operations to help tackle knife crime and we also have a High Harm team dedicated to tackling offenders and preventing serious violence. These operations include targeted searching, test purchase operations and training workshops with partners. We also seize opportunities to carry out preventative work with schools and clubs to deliver educational workshops to show young people why carrying a knife is never the right choice.”

However, DCI Brown says that fighting knife crime also depends on education, housing, social and youth services.

Anyone concerned about knife-related violence is urged to contact police on 101.