Suspect arrested over 16-year-old schoolgirl stabbing in Birmingham

A man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a 16-year-old schoolgirl who was stabbed to death on a rush hour bus in Birmingham this morning.

West Midlands Police arrested a 22-year-old man near Morrison’s supermarket at Five Ways Junction nearly five hours after the attack.

The officers spotted the suspect behaving “furtively” while being chased on-foot and described him as “extremely dangerous”.

It is not known whether the suspect knew the victim, Christina Edkins, who he attacked on the bus at about 7.40 am.

Miss Edkins was on her way to Leasowes High School in Halesowen when attacked on the top deck of the number 9 First West Midlands service.

She had been on the bus for a matter of minutes when the incident took place at Hagley Road.

In spite of frantic efforts by the officers and paramedics to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The area was cordoned off and the street leading out of the city was closed and is expected to stay shut for the rest of the day, with high police presence across the city particularly in buses and nearby schools to provide reassurance to locals.

A tribute page has been set up for Christina on Facebook, with users calling her death a “waste of a beautiful young life”.

The National Express West Midlands team promises to offer all possible support to the police in their investigation into the matter, and has also paid their condolences to Miss Edkins’ family.

Witnesses to the attack are asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Aastha Gill