Witnesses have described the terrifying scene of a 30-person fight that ended with two teenagers in hospital with stab wounds.
Richmond College students waiting at a bus stop near the junction of Whitton Road and Court Way yesterday saw a group of people running along Court Way, the road leading up to Richmond College.
Police said they broke up a fight between two men, one 17 and one 18, in the Court Way/Whitton Road area at about 4.20pm.
Passerby Lee Hayes said he walked past a cordon and saw blood on the floor and heard a police officer talking about how someone had been stabbed in the chest.
Officers were stood at the end of Court Way this morning and a number of officers were at Twickenham station, where the majority of college students arrive for the day.
A Richmond College spokesman said: "On Monday, March 25, there was an incident in the Court Way/Whitton Road area involving two groups of young males which resulted in one young male sustaining injuries. None of these young males are students at Richmond upon Thames College. Unfortunately, a college student, who was making his way home also received a minor injury.
"The two males who sustained injuries were both taken to hospital where they were treated. The college student has returned to college today. The matter is being handled by the Twickenham police."
Pallavi Mehta, who lives near the scene of the fight, said: “I definitely feel unsafe. Especially as this is a residential area with every household having little ones and a very high priced neighbourhood due to the location but many incidents keep happening.
“I’m not sure how to feel about living here with my toddler, who loves to walk the streets. It would have been a disaster if I was or any of my neighbours were out with their kids and would have had to witness the scene.”
A neighbour, who did not want to be named, has lived on Court Way for about 25 years and said students had caused the odd problem for years, but had never been a major safety concern.
She said: “Yes there’s problems and only this year it has calmed down here, but there’s not much of a problem. I feel safe here, it doesn’t affect me.”
Mrs Mehta added: “In the past we’ve had many little things happen, like my planter went missing right from my door step twice, and when I checked with my neighbours was informed it is a common happening by the college students and a week ago I had a garage break in.
“I looked down my window [yesterday] to see a bunch of police vehicles and ambulances. Very soon the area was taped by the officials and the entry or exit was restricted. The police later went around the neighbourhood asking for statements etc. Not much information was provided though except there was an incident involving a fight.
“I did ask for safety reasons if there were any casualties and was informed, they were unable to provide any further information.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called just before 4.25pm to reports of a stabbing near Court Way in Twickenham.
“We sent an ambulance crew, a responder in a car and an officer.
“We were then called to a second patient and another ambulance crew was sent. There were two patients, one 17 and one 18, who were both taken to hospital.”
The spokesman also confirmed both the patients were in a stable condition.
No arrests have been made.
Richmond police are preparing a statement today.
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