FIVE children as young as 12 have been arrested after a 13-year-old boy was stabbed in a youths' gang brawl in Sussex.
Detectives confirmed that armed police had arrested five boys over the knife attack on the young teen on Sunday evening.
The incident was described by a senior police chief as "deeply concerning" as attempts were being made to reassure the local community that the stabbing was an "isolated incident".
On Monday, all five children - aged between 12 and 15 - remained in police custody as the victim was treated for his injuries by hospital surgeons.
The alarm was raised last night and saw police and paramedics called to the seaside town of Worthing, West Sussex, in the aftermath of the youth violence.
A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "We have warned that youth violence will not be tolerated, after five children were arrested in connection with a stabbing in Worthing.
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"Detectives are continuing to investigate the incident which happened in Chapel Road, close to Liverpool Road, around 4.45pm on Sunday.
"Armed officers responded to the scene and five youths have been arrested.
"Searches of the area, including the use of a police drone in Liverpool Gardens, have also taken place.
"A 13-year-old boy sustained wounds to his torso.
"He was taken to hospital, where he continues to receive treatment for injuries which are thankfully not life-threatening."
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Chief Inspector Sarah Leadbeatter, District Commander for Adur and Worthing, said: “As a parent and mother, I completely understand why the local community are so concerned by yesterday’s incident.
“While we are treating this as an isolated incident, I am well aware of the recent reports of youth violence, antisocial behaviour and criminal damage in the Worthing area.
“The behaviour we have seen amongst a small minority of young people in the community is deeply concerning but tackling youth violence remains my priority and my team and I will retain our robust approach to how we tackle this completely unacceptable behaviour and ensure those committing these acts are held to account for their actions.
“I would however ask that people do not speculate or share names of young people across social media channels because this can severely hinder our investigation.
“Where people have witnessed or captured the incident on CCTV or mobile phone, I would urge you to report it online or call 101.
“Whilst the investigation continues, there will be a continued high visibility police presence in and around Worthing town centre over the coming days.
“Rest assured, we will continue to work in partnership with other agencies and the local community to reduce violence amongst young people.”
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Police said that a 14-year-old boy from Worthing was arrested on suspicion of committing grievous bodily harm with intent.
A 15-year-old boy from Worthing was also arrested on suspicion of committing grievous bodily harm with intent.
And a 14-year-old boy from Littlehampton was arrested on suspicion of committing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a knife.
A 13-year-old boy from Littlehampton was arrested on suspicion of attempted wounding with intent and a 12-year-old boy from Worthing was arrested on suspicion of committing grievous bodily harm with intent.
All five were in custody on Monday.
The latest act of youth violence comes after The Sun revealed the horrific extent of knife crime across the country.
We told in December how London - the knife crime capital of Britain - recorded a huge 10,130 incidents last year, which is around 27 a day.
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The next deadliest spot for knife crime is the West Midlands, where police raced to 4,562 incidents last year.
In Greater Manchester there were 3,073 flashpoints, while West Yorkshire officers recorded 2,200 cases and Essex dealt with 1,589 incidents.
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