Two arrests in Colchester attempted murder investigation
A 16-year-old boy, stabbed near Queen Street is no longer in a life threatening condition
Last updated 12th Jan 2024
Two people have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder as part of an Essex police investigation into a serious incident in Colchester.
Their officers were called to the junction of Queen Street and Priory Street at about 6.30pm on Tuesday 9 January following reports of a boy being seriously assaulted. The victim, a 16-year-old, was taken to hospital with stab wounds.
Police say his condition is no longer life-threatening.
A 20-year-old man was initially arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He has since been released and will face no further action at this time.
Two men, aged 19 and 21, were arrested yesterday evening, Thursday 11 January, in the Greenstead area of the city on suspicion of attempted murder. They remained in custody this morning (12th January 2024) for questioning.
There will also be a continued police presence in The Dell area, off Priory Street, today as officers continue their investigations.
Detective Chief Inspector Greg Wood, of the Kent and Essex serious crime directorate, said:
"This investigation continues to move at pace, with officers and staff from across the force working tirelessly.
"Significantly, two arrests were made last night, Thursday 11 January and those men will be questioned in the coming hours.
"My team will continue to work to piece together the minutes which led up to this incident with a firm goal of securing justice."
Chief Inspector Colin Cox, Colchester district commander, added:
"This incident has quite understandably caused concern in our community, but I want our residents to know this investigation is running incredibly quickly.
"I would also remind people that incidents such as this are thankfully incredibly rare in Colchester and the work that we are doing to drive down knife crime is working. I know there may be opinions among the public that ‘everyone is carrying a knife’ – this could not be further from the truth.
"Locally, in Colchester, the number of knife crime offences is reducing with the latest available figures showing a decrease of 7.6%.
"We’re not complacent – we know there is always more to do, and I want our community to know that tackling serious violence is a priority for us."