The 14-year-old who was stabbed to death on a bus in southeast London yesterday has been named as Kelyan Bokassa.
He was stabbed to death on a bus in Woolwich Church Street, close to the Woolwich Ferry, just before 2.30pm on Tuesday.
The teenager died at the scene shortly after medical help arrived.
No arrests have been made so far but officers are appealing for witnesses who were on the 472 bus.
Police called the stabbing a “horrific attack”.
Detective Chief Inspector Martin Thorpe, who is leading the investigation, said: “Following Kelyan’s tragic death yesterday, specialist officers are now leading the investigation which is progressing at pace.
“If anyone saw this horrific attack or was in the area then I urge them to come forward and speak to officers.
“We’re particularly interested in any mobile phone footage that captured this incident or any dash cam or doorbell footage from around the surrounding area at the time of this incident.”
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A 14-year-old boy has been stabbed to death on a bus in Woolwich, in southeast London.
Police were called around 2.30pm to reports of a stabbing on a bus on Woolwich Church Road near the junction with the A205 South Circular Road.
A boy who police said had received stab wounds was treated by paramedics, but he died at the scene shortly after they arrived.
Officers have launched an investigation into the incident.
No arrests have been made so far but police are appealing for witnesses of the incident on the 472 bus.
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A cordon and road closures were in place as of shortly before 5pm.
Eight people are injured in Glasgow after a double decker bus hit a railway bridge.
One person is in a critical condition, according to the police, and five people were taken by ambulance to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for treatment.
Footage posted online shows a First Bus wedged under the bridge on Cook Street on Saturday night.
Emergency services were called to the area at around 6pm.
“We’re aware of numerous injuries, with one person being taken to hospital in an ambulance,” said a Police Scotland spokesperson.
“We have launched an immediate investigation and are also assisting Police Scotland with their inquiries.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident.”
It is not known in which direction the bus was travelling, but the 4A route runs between Broomhill and Eaglesham.
A number of roads are closed and the police are advising motorists to avoid the area.
A four-year-old boy has died after being hit by a bus in the West Midlands.
Officers are seeking dash cam footage of the incident which happened shortly before 4.55pm on Friday in High Street, Tipton, in Sandwell.
“The boy was found with serious injuries and heartbreakingly nothing could be done to save him,” West Midlands Police said in a statement.
“Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this devastating time and we’ll be doing all we can to support them. We know how very sad this will be for everyone.
“The driver of the bus remained at the scene and is assisting with our enquiries.
“We need to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time and has not already spoken to our officers.
“We’re particularly after any dash cam footage which could assist our enquiries into exactly what happened.”
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A man who died after being hit by a bus in Edinburgh has been named.
Michael Leneghen, 74, died after being struck at around 7.25pm on Saturday 2 November in the Cowgate area of the city.
On the day of the incident, police issued a warning for members of the public not to share distressing images and videos circulating online.
In a statement, Mr Leneghen’s family thanked members of the public and emergency services who were involved and asked for privacy.
A single-decker bus collided with Mr Leneghen, who was on foot, Police Scotland say.
Sergeant Paul Ewing of Edinburgh‘s road policing unit said the force’s thoughts were with Mr Leneghen’s family and friends “as well as everyone affected by this tragic incident”.
“Our enquiries remain ongoing. We have already spoken to a number of people who were in the area at the time and work is ongoing to check public and private CCTV footage,” he added.
“We are still keen to hear from anyone who has not yet spoken to police. If you have any information about what happened, then please get in touch.”
Chief Inspector Trisha Clark, the local area commander, previously said police were “aware of videos and images circulating on social media which are causing distress to the deceased’s family”.
“We would ask members of the public not to share them out of respect for his family, and to report them to the relevant social media platform to prevent further circulation,” she added.
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Ms Clark added that while there had been a lot of speculation, it was an “isolated incident” and there was “no risk to the wider public”.
Officers have asked anyone with information which could the police investigation to get in touch.
A “bus revolution” will save vital routes and put passengers first, the government has said, as it unveiled new measures which include plans to further support franchising.
The legislation, which will be laid out before parliament on Monday, will give all local transport authorities new powers to run their own bus services.
Only metro mayors at the moment can control services in this way.
It will be presented in the form of a statutory instrument, meaning it does not need to be passed by parliament.
The government has also launched a consultation on simplified guidance hoping to speed up processes and reduce costs for local leaders looking to bring services into public control.
Known as bus franchising, this model involves local authorities granting private companies the right to operate in a specific area but keeping control over key aspects.
This could include routes, timetables and fares.
According to the Department for Transport, the annual total distance travelled by buses in England has fallen by nearly 300 million miles since 2010.
The department plans to present a Buses Bill later in this parliamentary session to further support franchising.
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Transport Secretary Louise Haigh hailed the measures as “the first stop on our journey to delivering better buses across the country”.
“After decades of failed deregulation, local leaders will finally have the powers to provide services that deliver for passengers,” she said.
“And we are taking steps to support local leaders to deliver improved bus services faster and cheaper than ever before.
“With local communities firmly back in the driving seat, our bus revolution will save vital routes up and down the country and put passengers first.”
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Helen Whately, the shadow transport secretary, said Labour’s plans are unfunded.
“They need to explain whether local authorities will raise council tax or make cuts to vital services like social care to fund this,” she said.
“Moreover, it won’t make a blind bit of difference for passengers. It won’t increase the number of services and they would much prefer to have the £2 fare cap extended at the budget.”
A driver suffered an “event” at the wheel before a school bus crash on the M53 in Wirral that killed him and 15-year-old Jessica Baker, Liverpool Coroner’s Court has heard.
Stephen Shrimpton, 40, was driving the bus – which had 54 people on board – to West Kirby Grammar School and Calday Grange Grammar School when it crashed last Friday.
The senior coroner for Liverpool and the Wirral, Andre Rebello, said CCTV footage from inside the coach showed Mr Shrimpton slump to his left while driving the coach.
At the same time, the coach left the carriageway and went up an embankment before falling on its side.
Jessica suffered “instantaneous” death from “catastrophic” injuries, though the exact circumstances of how she was killed depend on an ongoing police investigation.
Image: Picture of 15-year-old Jessica Baker, who died in Liverpool bus crash
While further medical results will be released, the most likely cause of Jessica’s death will remain a severe head injury, Mr Rebello said.
It appears Jessica was “partially ejected” from the vehicle, Mr Rebello added, with the coach landing on her, causing “certainly instantaneous fatal head injuries”.
Mr Rebello said it was “miraculous” nobody else died.
“At approximately 8.03am, the road traffic incident occurred and the coach, travelling northbound, collided with the embankment on the nearside and the coach came down on its side, causing fatal injury, life-changing injury and serious injury and lots of minor injuries,” he said.
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“Given the extent of the collision, it is miraculous that there were not more fatalities.
“The court has been briefed by the road collision unit investigation and the CCTV footage within the coach.
“It is fairly evident that the driver has suffered an event whereby he is seen to slump to his left side and it is at this time that the vehicle leaves the carriageway.”
Further medical examinations will be needed to establish Mr Shrimpton’s cause of death, Mr Rebello added, with focus on his heart’s condition.
‘Bags are everywhere’
A teenager who was on the coach told Sky News they were all just “chatting” on their phones when “all of a sudden, nothing seemed real”.
“I looked around and there’s just people lying down everywhere. Bags are everywhere,” the pupil added, speaking anonymously on Sunday.
“There’s glass everywhere. And it’s just like blood everywhere. I’ve seen both my mates on the floor, but I thought they were dead.
“I looked around again and saw a girl stood next to me. I was in shock, I put my hand on my face. I looked back at my hand and it was covered in blood, I remember saying, this can’t be my blood.”
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In an anonymous interview, a boy recalls how there was ‘blood everywhere’ in the aftermath of the crash
After the crash, four other children were taken to hospital, including a 14-year-old boy whose injuries are said to be “life-changing”, according to Merseyside Police.
Another 13 were treated for minor injuries before they were released.
The inquest was told Mr Shrimpton was pronounced dead at the scene at 8.50am and formally identified by his wife Tania Shrimpton.
Jessica was also pronounced dead at the roadside at 9.01am, and identified by her father, Shaun Baker, a nurse.
‘Clarity over seat-belts needed’
Mr Rebello said anyone over the age of 14 is responsible themselves by law for wearing a seat belt, but added clarity was needed over the rules on coaches and buses.
He said he intends to write to the Department for Transport for more information.
“I am old enough to remember the Tufty Club and the Green Cross Code and the public information films about, ‘Clunk Click every trip’,” he added.
“And clearly, because I am now considered very old, I suspect there are generations who have never seen these public information films and may not be fully aware that the chances of severe injury or fatal injury are so much reduced by wearing of a seat belt.”
A full inquest will be heard on 20 March next year.
A teenager who was on the coach which overturned in a fatal crash on the M53 in Cheshire says he is “happy to be alive”.
Speaking to Sky News anonymously, he recalled how what started as a normal school day on Friday turned into a tragedy.
“We were all just chatting on our phones,” he said. “Then all of sudden, nothing seemed real. I stood up because I felt something really weird, then all of sudden getting thrown to the side. The bus had tipped.”
Jessica Baker, a 15-year-old pupil at West Kirby Grammar School and bus driver, Stephen Shrimpton, died after the vehicle overturned on the motorway on Friday morning.
Mr Shrimpton, 40, was “suffering medical issues” while at the wheel, his sister-in-law Emily wrote on a crowdfunding page.
Image: Jessica Baker and Stephen Shrimpton died in the crash
Police said 58 people were involved in the crash. Four children were taken to hospital, one of whom, a 14-year-old boy, is said to have sustained life-changing injuries.
Pupils from West Kirby Grammar School and Calday Grange Grammar School were onboard.
‘People lying down everywhere’
After the bus hit a central reservation, the teenager told Sky News he eventually managed to climb through the smashed front window, but says what he saw was distressing.
“I looked around and there’s just people lying down everywhere. Bags are everywhere,” the pupil said.
Image: Flowers left at West Kirby all-girls grammar school.
“There’s glass everywhere. And it’s just like blood everywhere. I’ve seen both my mates on the floor, but I thought they were dead.
“I looked around again and saw a girl stood next to me. I was in shock, I put my hand on my face. I looked back at my hand and it was covered in blood, I remember saying, this can’t be my blood.”
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Some of the students were eventually taken to nearby hospitals, while others were taken to an emergency services training centre in Wallasey, with 13 treated for minor injuries.
The pupil Sky News spoke to says he was certain no other students had died, so it came as a shock when he heard that Jessica had lost her life.
‘Just a horrible thing to think about’
The pair knew each other, and he described her as friendly.
“Obviously it could have been me in that position” he said. “She’s basically my age really, it’s just a horrible thing to think about.”
The teenager has been to A&E for his physical injuries but says the mental impact of what happened is causing flashbacks, including when in the car, and when there are sudden noises.
His overall feeling though, is that he is incredibly lucky.
“A couple of hours after it had happened, when I was sat upstairs. I’d realised it was crazy, I still don’t know how, like, I got up so quick and things like that and I don’t know how I wasn’t screaming, crying,” he added.
“I think I was subconsciously happy to be alive. Happy to be where I am now.”
There are “a number of casualties” and a major incident has been declared after a school bus overturned in a crash on a motorway in Merseyside, emergency services have said.
Calday Grange Grammar School confirmed one of its coaches was involved in the incident on the M53.
A statement posted by the school on X, formerly Twitter, said: “We are aware of a situation involving one of our school buses on the motorway earlier today.
“We’re actively gathering details and assisting affected students and their families.”
Merseyside Fire and Rescue said crews arrived at the scene at 8.16am “to find an overturned bus with a number of casualties”, according to local media.
The North West Ambulance Service said it had “declared a major incident” following the crash.
One female was taken to hospital after suffering major trauma-related injuries, it said, while nearly 50 others were being assessed at the scene.
“We are working closely with our incident partners to convey people away from the scene as quickly as possible,” the service said.
An air ambulance was at the scene.
The motorway has been closed in both directions between junction 5 at Ellesmere Port and junction 4 at Bebbington.
Merseyside Police said it was called just after 8am to reports a bus had struck a reservation at junction 5 of the motorway.
The force said: “Junctions 3-5 of the M53 are closed in both directions. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service is currently ensuring the safe removal of passengers and the driver, and North West Ambulance Service are at the scene attending to anyone requiring treatment.
“Motorists are advised to avoid the area and find alternative routes, and we advise people to remain patient while the incident is ongoing.”
National Highways North West said: “The incident occurred shortly after 8am this morning.
“All emergency services are on scene along with North West Air Ambulance Services.
“National Highways Traffic Officers are on scene providing assistance with traffic management.”
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The number of bus services in the UK has halved since 2011, according to the Labour Party.
The figures, which are based on annual reports by traffic commissioners, show there were 8,781 bus services in the year to March 2023, compared to 17,394 in 2011.
Almost 2,000 routes were cut since the 2021/22 period alone, the data suggest.
However, the government branded the opposition‘s criticism as “misleading” – pointing out an investment since 2020 of £3.5bn into bus services.
The Department for Transportsaid factors such as operators merging and traffic commissioners not managing the registration of buses in some regions had played a part in the figures highlighted by the opposition.
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According to Labour, the West Midlands was the hardest region – having lost more than two-thirds of its routes.
Louise Haigh, Labour’s shadow transport secretary, said: “The staggering decline in local bus services under this government is nothing short of vandalism against our communities.
“Millions of people rely on these essential services, but they are being left without a voice as routes are cut back year after year.
“Labour’s plans will put passengers first by allowing communities to take back control over their bus services.”
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Image: Louise Haigh says people are being left without services
In response, a DfT spokesperson said: “It’s misleading to equate these figures directly with changes in the number of bus routes, when the government has invested £3.5bn since 2020 to back our buses.
“Our recent £500mn boost is capping fares until the end of November 2024 and protecting routes into 2025, helping people save money on travel and improving transport connections to grow the economy.”
Transport Minister Richard Holden said: “This is just another cynical attempt by Labour to distract the British people from their appalling record on public transport.
“In Labour-run London, Sadiq Khan has increased bus fares by almost 6% and under the last Labour government bus fares rose more quickly than under the Conservatives, increasing costs for hardworking families.
“While Labour’s fare hikes are discouraging bus use, the Conservatives are backing bus users by capping fares at £2 on over 5,000 bus routes and delivering record investment into our bus sector, keeping prices down as we halve inflation and grow the economy.”
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Labour wants to devolve more powers to choose routes and reduce fares to local authorities – powers currently only wielded by metro mayors.
They also want to end the ban on publicly-owned bus companies being started.
The government announced an extra £300m for buses earlier this year – but this was £90m short of what the Confederation of Passenger Transport said was needed over the next 18 months.
Some £2bn was provided to the industry to help it recover from the pandemic.
