Bradford school stabbing: Boy 'attacked teacher in row over confiscated phone', students claim

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

A supply teacher was stabbed once in the stomach at Dixons Kings Academy (Lynne Cameron/PA Wire)

A boy stabbed a teacher at a Bradford school because he tried to confiscate his mobile phone, students have claimed.

A 14-year-old student was arrested six hours after the attack at Dixons Kings Academy on Thursday morning.

Another pupil who was in the classroom at the time told the BBC it happened after the boy refused to hand his mobile phone over.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was detained by police in Bradford city centre and is being held on suspicion of attempted murder.

Vincent Uzomah, 50, was stabbed in the stomach as he started a science lesson shortly before 9am.

The supply teacher, who had been working at the school for a few weeks, was taken to hospital and was last night said to be in a stable, non-life-threatening condition with his family by his bedside.

Detective Superintendent Simon Atkinson said “a number of pupils” were in the classroom at the time and witnessed the stabbing.

Specially trained staff were talking to the children who “potentially witnessed something horrendous”, he added.

“This is believed to be an isolated incident and police are continuing enquiries to establish the facts,” Det Supt Atkinson said.

“I would like to reassure residents and staff that all necessary resources are being deployed to investigate this ongoing and clearly very serious incident.”

Principal at Dixon Kings Academy, Neil Miley and Executive Principal at Dixon Kings, Nick Weller (centre left) speaking to the media (Lynne Cameron/PA Wire)

Superintendent Damien Miller described the area where the attack took place, Lidget Green, as a “close-knit community”, where students, parents, staff had been shaken by yesterday’s events.

“I would like to take this opportunity to reassure the public that the police are working with the school, community and partners throughout this investigation and will continue to do so in the weeks ahead,” he added.

Lessons at the school were set to continue today as police continue to question the teenager.

Speaking outside the school gates yesterday, the executive principal of the Dixons Academy group in Bradford, Nick Weller, said: "Obviously, it's a very shocking thing for (students) to see.

“The general atmosphere in the school is very calm, quite orderly, we're trying to keep to normal routines as much as possible."

Mr Weller said there was nothing in school that suggested the attack was going to be launched and confirmed the suspect had been a student there for a year.

The school is about 15 miles away from Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds, where Ann Maguire was stabbed to death by a student just over a year ago.

Dixons Kings Academy - then called the Kings Science Academy - started in 2011 as one of the first free schools in England and was visited by Prime Minister David Cameron in 2012, but it was beset by financial controversy and the former head and other staff members were arrested. The case continues.

The Dixons Academy Trust, which runs seven other schools in Bradford, took over the school in January.

Additional reporting by PA