Boy, 14, charged with murdering Alfie Lewis in Leeds
A 14-year-old boy has been charged with murdering Alfie Lewis, who was stabbed near a school in Leeds.
Alfie, 15, was attacked in the Horsforth area on Tuesday afternoon as children were leaving two nearby schools.
West Yorkshire Police said a 14-year-old has been charged with murder and possession of a knife.
The boy will appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The teenager was arrested shortly after the incident, which happened just before 3pm on Tuesday at the junction of Church Lane and Church Road, which is between Horsforth School and St Margaret’s Primary School.
On Wednesday, Alfie’s family paid tribute to him, saying he was known as Uncle Alfie.
A family statement issued through West Yorkshire Police said: “I haven’t got the words to describe how devastated we all are.
“Alfie, you were one in a million, so funny and an all-round entertainer with your rapping and dancing feet.
“You had the biggest heart and took care of everybody around you. You will never know just how much you are loved by family and friends, and you will always be our Uncle Alfie.
“We love you so much. Nothing will ever be the same without you.
“You will shine in the sky, as bright as you did in all our lives. I love you more than words can say, and you will always be with us forever.
“Love you Uncle Alfie.”
A bench on Broadgate Lane, which is close to where Alfie lived, has been covered in floral tributes to the teenager and has become a focal point where his friends and family have gathered to remember him.
On Wednesday evening, many of his friends gathered on a nearby sports field to release balloons in his memory.
Alfie was a former pupil of Horsforth School.
Head Paul Bell has said the school has been “overwhelmed by the kindness and support offered to us following the tragic loss of one of our former students”.
Local Tory MP Stuart Andrew visited the bench on Wednesday afternoon and looked at the flowers.
Mr Andrew said: “It’s almost impossible to find the words that really describe how I’m feeling and how the whole community is feeling.
“But my primary thoughts at the moment are with the family.
“I cannot imagine what they are going through.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the incident as “awful” and, speaking before Alfie was named, said: “My heart goes out to the family and friends of the young person who was tragically killed.”
The organisers of a fundraising site set-up in Alfie’s memory said he was “a lovely, kind, funny, mischievous, brave and generous young boy”.
They said: “He was loving, mischievous, adventurous and, as such, extremely popular.
“He was everything a 15-year-old child should be and his life was senselessly taken from him before he had the chance to grow into it.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub