A BOY stabbed two teenagers then ran from police in a shocking series of offences.

The 14-year-old attacked a boy in Orme Road, Worthing, before catching a train to Goring railway station, where he repeatedly stabbed a 16-year-old.

The stabbings came in the midst of a series of incidents involving youth violence in the Worthing area.

On Monday the boy from Worthing, who is now 16 but cannot be named for legal reasons, received a custodial sentence for his crimes.

The Argus: Police closed off Goring railway station in the aftermath of the incidentPolice closed off Goring railway station in the aftermath of the incident

Chief Inspector Sarah Leadbeatter, district commander for Adur, Worthing and Horsham, said: “Thankfully the two victims in this case recovered without suffering life-changing or life-threatening injuries, but it could have been a whole lot worse. 

"Carrying a knife puts you and those around you at significant risk, and possession of any offensive weapon in public is a serious offence. This is reflected in the sentence imposed."

Shortly before 4pm on October 1 2019, the boy approached a 16-year-old in Orme Road, Worthing, and demanded he emptied his pockets.

He then punched the boy as he tried to walk away before stabbing him in the arm.

The victim called police and was taken to hospital for treatment. Nothing was taken during the incident.

The attacker then took a train to Goring, where he had a confrontation with another 16-year-old boy at about 4.50pm. 

He stabbed the boy three times in the chest and once more in the abdomen during the incident, which spilled out into the station car park.

His victim was left needing hospital treatment.

The Argus: Police closed off Goring railway station in the aftermath of the incidentPolice closed off Goring railway station in the aftermath of the incident

Sussex Police launched an urgent search for the 14-year-old, with a force helicopter spotting him with another youth in the area.

The pair tried to hide in a railway underpass, but officers soon tracked them down and both were arrested.

The 14-year-old was charged with attempted robbery, committing grievous bodily harm, possession of cannabis, and two counts of possession of a knife in public. 

He pleaded guilty to all charges.

The Argus: Police closed off Goring railway station in the aftermath of the incidentPolice closed off Goring railway station in the aftermath of the incident

He appeared at West Sussex Youth Court where he received a custodial sentence of four years and six months on Monday.

The other boy was released and faced no further action.

Following the ruling, Ch Insp Leadbeatter commented on the problem of youth violence in Worthing.

She said: "We are aware of the concern within the Worthing community surrounding violence involving and affecting young people, and we continue to work with partners to combat this behaviour and seek to reduce the level of violence involving young people.

The Argus: Police closed off Goring railway station in the aftermath of the incidentPolice closed off Goring railway station in the aftermath of the incident

"In order to achieve this, we also need the support of our local community, and there are many ways you can report matters of concern. 

"You can either contact us online or by calling 101, or you can contact Fearless or Crimestoppers anonymously."

She also urged warned young people of the dangers of carrying a knife.

Ch Insp Leadbeatter said: "Our priority is keeping young people safe from harm and ensuring they’re aware of the dangers of carrying a knife.

“Getting caught with a knife can change your life. We want people to realise that carrying these dangerous weapons could affect their futures, and we want to work with them to prevent this.

“Knife crime is a complex issue and to create real long-lasting change it’s essential that we work together to help keep young people safe and knife free.”

Around the time of the incident, a video had been circulating on social media showing a group of young people beating and kicking a lone victim.

The Argus spoke to Detective Superintendent Miles Ockwell of Adur and Worthing Police on October 13 - days after the double stabbing.

The Argus: Police closed off Goring railway station in the aftermath of the incidentPolice closed off Goring railway station in the aftermath of the incident

He said: "We saw that (the video) and began a criminal investigation which uncovered there were a small group of young people who had been assaulting other young people in that area for a period of time.

“We found other incidents where they had singled out children and subjected them to assault and filmed it.

“We are talking about 11, 12 and 13-year-olds, and the perpetrators are very young themselves.”

Addressing the incident on October 1, he said: "I can’t say it is directly linked [to the youth violence] but it is another incident of serious violence which could have been worse.”