My daughter, 12, is terrified to leave the house after being threatened with a knife in Kingscote Park

Officers rushed to Kingscote Park in Layton following reports a 12-year-old boy was armed with a knife at around 6pm on Friday.

The boy, wearing his school uniform, allegedly threatened to stab a number of children but later told police it was a ‘joke’.

A member of the public seized the boy’s knife while frantic parents called 999, with officers later seen leading the boy off the park and into a police van.

Lancashire Police said he was taken home and “given strong words of advice” and would be dealt with by way of a community resolution.

The mother of one of the victims - who wished to remain anonymous - said the incident had left her daughter afraid to leave the house.

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She said: “She’s normally a very loud, bubbly and happy kind of person, but this incident has left her half the child she was,” she said.

“She’s terrified to go out. She won’t ever go to that park again, and that’s not on my say so, that’s her own fear stopping her.”

The mum explained the incident had affected the whole household, and she now worries about letting her children out on their own.

“It’s horrible walking around and panicking about my children running off or wanting to go somewhere on their own,” she added.

“Normally I let my children out on the street, but now they are all inside because it’s safer than being out there. “I won’t let them out of my sight.”

She now wants to see more police on the streets and CCTV cameras installed in the park to help stop the anti-social behaviour.

She added: “It’s horrible to say this, but no wonder knife crime is what it is today because the police aren’t taking action until someone is either hurt or worse.

“The kids today aren’t scared of the police. They know that they can’t be touched.

“It’s getting to the point where I’m concerned my child is going to be involved in it and I’m going to end up sitting next to a hospital bed.”

If you have any concerns about crime in your area, report it online at https://doitonline.lancashire.police.uk/ or call 101.