A teenager has been stabbed and nine additional individuals have been detained following a chaotic gathering at Clapham Common in south London.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police were deployed to the parkland on Friday (May 22) after substantial crowds assembled and violent clashes erupted at the ‘unauthorised gathering’.
Video footage obtained from the Clapham Common meet-up showed groups of individuals throwing punches and wrestling on the ground while police worked to disperse the large crowds. The unofficial event had been advertised on TikTok, drawing significant numbers of young people to the location.
One teenager was transported to hospital with stab injuries, which emergency crews confirmed to be “neither life-threatening nor life-changing”, police said.
The group were dispersed by officers after fighting broke out in the crowd, following this we made nine arrests. All of those arrested remain in police custody, reports the Mirror.
“We urge anyone who was at the event or who has any information to come forward to police by calling 101 and quoting CAD8948/22May.
“A police presence will remain in the area, and we’ll be reviewing CCTV and other evidence in the coming days.”
Four boys – one aged 16, two aged 17 and one aged 19 – were arrested on suspicion of affray.
A 16-year-old and a 14-year-old were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and affray. A further two people – a 20-year-old man and a 15-year-old – were arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife. An 18-year-old was detained on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.
The incident comes just weeks after a mob of teenagers descended on the Common and Clapham High Street, causing terror amongst shoppers and forcing a number of retail outlets to shut their doors early.
A 16-year-old and a 14-year-old were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and affray. A further two people – a 20-year-old man and a 15-year-old – were arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife. An 18-year-old was detained on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.
The incident comes just weeks after a mob of teenagers descended on the Common and Clapham High Street, causing terror amongst shoppers and forcing a number of retail outlets to shut their doors early.
Shoppers, families and unsuspecting passers-by found themselves barricaded inside stores by shop owners and police for their own protection, as hundreds of youths rampaged through the affluent suburb following the Easter school break back in April.
At the time, videos circulated on social media showing fires being started on the Common, along with fireworks being let off.