Portsmouth residents reveal horror at terrifying stabbing, saying weapon violence is 'just what happens today'
Concerns raised over violent crime in modern times
A tucked-away mobile home park nestled beneath Portsdown Hill that is predominantly made up of pensioners - many of whom have disabilities - was recently locked down after a horrifying stabbing.
A 19-year-old from Birmingham was allegedly beaten over the head with a baseball bat and stabbed with him left with injuries to his head and hand following the incident on Thursday July 30 at about 8pm which led to six males from Birmingham, Croydon and Wolverhampton being arrested. One of those has been given a conditional caution for possession of an offensive weapon while two of the males, released on bail, remain under investigation. The other three have been released by police.
An overspill car park to Cliffdale Gardens, off London Road, is believed to be where the attack happened. Locals told The News the secluded car park, which has an adjoining green space with woods, is regularly used for drug dealing and drug taking.
Following the stabbing, armed police raced to the area and shut down the mobile home park and told people to lock their doors with the attacker(s) on the loose. A crime scene was set up preventing access to the site as officers hunted the area for those involved. A large section of the sprawling London Road was closed off for three hours until around 11pm as an air ambulance and police helicopter and drones circled.
The teenager survived the attack but was left with “serious but not life threatening” injuries according to Hampshire police. But it was the sort of incident that has become almost normalised such is the regularity of such attacks.
Locals said they are more cautious these days, with violence involving weapons “just what happens today”. A knifing in Hawthorn Crescent near Cosham train station in March serves to illustrate the point.
Residents living in Cliffdale Gardens were suddenly thrown into a terrifying crime scene with armed police patrolling the area and issuing warnings to people. “It was a big deal, we were told to go indoors and lock our doors and not come out,” Julie Francis said.
“We were put in lockdown for three hours. It was quite scary. There’s a lot of elderly who live here and one lady said she did not feel safe. There were lots of armed police walking around the (mobile home park) and searching on the other side of (London Road).”
The 73-year-old said of the victim: “The man was found on London Road and someone driving past saw him staggering and stopped to help him. Whether the attack happened in the car park or on the field I’m not sure.”
She added: “These sort of attacks are a worry but unfortunately it’s part of life today. You see it on the news all the time. Four people were stabbed in central London the other day. It’s just what happens today.
“I think it makes you more careful about what you say to some people in case they have got a knife.”
A resident who was walking his dog moments before the incident said he saw a group of males in the car park speaking in English and a foreign language. “I was walking to the field with my dog and gave them a wide berth while they were talking in the car park,” the man, who did not want to be named, said.
“A car drove off and some of them walked up to the field. I didn’t see any problems between them. It’s secluded and no one parks there in the evening. A lot of people take drugs there. They need CCTV.”
Speaking of the increase in stabbings in modern life, he said: “It’s not the safest any more. There’s a lot of anti-social behaviour and the police are powerless.
“When I was a kid I wouldn’t backchat a cop but now kids walk all over them. In my day you would get a choice of whether you wanted to be banged up or get a slap if you did something wrong. It worked for me. There’s no accountability for anyone today.
“Some of the attacks (involving foreign people) make people racist because of the simple fact there is no justice - and it’s getting worse. Eventually it’s going to blow up in the government’s faces.”
Lynn Ridley-Walton, 66, was asleep when the stabbing took place. “I live on my own so it is quite unnerving. Sometimes I decide to stay in because it’s safer. It’s very frightening and can be daunting being a pensioner,” she said.
“I don’t know what the world is coming to, what can you do? There’s not enough police. I’ve only seen police here once before. It’s getting worse in this country. I don’t go to Commercial Road because it’s not very nice to go to. I feel sorry for older people.
“It is scary to walk through the car park to the grass area on your own. It’s very secluded. I wouldn’t go there now. It’s a shame we feel like this.”
Another woman, who has only lived at the site for three weeks, said she walked her dog between 7pm and 7.30pm but did not see anything. “It is concerning,” she said of the attack.
Anthony Steel, 64, said he thought it was a “mistake” after his brother phoned him to say there had been a stabbing. Despite the attack happening nearby he said: “It’s not ideal but I feel quite safe here.
“The (mobile home park) does not lead anywhere so there is no need for people to come here. It does not alarm or worry me (the stabbing). I just feel for the family and friends.”
Despite the fears of many over knife crime, the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show there were 940 knife offences in Hampshire in 2025 - the lowest level of police-recorded knife offences in the county since 2015.
Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones recently announced over £611,000 will be spent on tackling knife crime in Portsmouth and Southampton - with her conceding the two cities “still have a high number of incidents”.
Ms Jones said: “Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary is one of the best performing forces in the country when it comes to tackling knife crime. While other forces are seeing significant increases in incidents, here they have reduced by 27.3% since 2023. But there’s always more to be done.
“Officers are working tirelessly to reduce this epidemic and we have already seen the difference increasing hotspot patrols has had on reducing crime here.
“This funding will only strengthen that resolve by putting extra officers on the streets, offering reassurance to people living in Portsmouth and Southampton that serious violence will not be tolerated.”
The money has been allocated through the government’s Knife Crime Concentration Fund and will help support Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary to deliver bespoke intervention plans for each city.
Ms Jones added: “Sadly we’ve seen only too recently, both locally and nationally, the devastation knife crime can cause to communities and I’m committed to working alongside our police force to ensure we can live our lives safely here without fear.
“I have long stated that early intervention is vital and it’s why I continue to invest over a million pounds a year in my Violence Reduction Unit to work alongside partner organisations like Youth Services to identify and disrupt those who may be harming or exploiting vulnerable young people and drawing them into violence and to support those who may have already decided to pick up a knife.”