Stab boy family 'ripped apart'

Police have opened a murder investigation after a 14-year-old schoolboy was killed yesterday with a single stab wound to the heart.

The mother of Luke Walmsley has spoken out about the tragedy, telling reporters that the family "will never be the same again".

Jayne Walmsley said: "Yesterday I woke up with two children, today I only have one."

"Our family has been ripped apart and will never be the same again. Luke loved life and loved sport."

Mrs Walmsley broke down in tears as she described how her teenage son was a member of Grimsby judo club and played football for North Somercotes Under-15s.

Standing with Luke's stepfather, 32-year old Mark Rowbotham, she added: "He had his whole life mapped out and wanted to become a policeman when he left school. Luke's future has been taken away and Luke has been taken away from us.

"Our lives will never be the same again."

She concluded: "Luke did not deserve this to happen and we as a family just want justice to be done for Luke."

Pupil arrested

A 15-year-old fellow pupil is being questioned by police at Skegness police station today.

Luke was pronounced dead after being airlifted to Grimsby hospital yesterday following the incident in the corridor of Birkbeck School in North Somercotes.

The school is closed today as police investigate the death of the youngster and interview other pupils.

First aid

Chief Superintendent Phil Carter, of Lincolnshire police said: "The incident happened about 10am in one of the corridors of the school, near the science laboratory.

"Teachers gave him first aid and the efforts to save his life were taken over by paramedics and then the air ambulance took him to hospital at Grimsby, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

"We have recovered a knife but we are not prepared to release any description of it."

He added: "We will liaise with the headmaster and education authority as to when the school can reopen."

'Unbelievable'

The stabbing was an "almost unbelievable" tragedy, the school's governors said today.

Violence in the classroom or the playground had never been an issue before, said John Stevens, chairman of the governors of Birkbeck School.

"This is so out of character that it's almost unbelievable that it should happen in our school," Mr Stevens told the BBC.

He said serious violence "had never been an issue" in the school.

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