Father and 15-year-old son critical after masked men stab them at Leicestershire home
A father in his 50s and his 15-year-old son are in a critical condition after masked men stabbed them at their home in Thurnby, Leicestershire, in what police call an unprovoked attack.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A father in his 50s and his 15-year-old son are fighting for their lives in hospital after masked men stabbed them at their home in Thurnby, Leicestershire. Police have described the attack as horrific and completely unprovoked.
Officers were called in the early hours of Thursday morning after reports of shouting, screaming and banging. A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said it was like a horror scene. The neighbour said: 'We heard shouting, screaming, banging noises. It woke us up. We saw two men running. It was so dark, they disappeared. We rang our neighbour and she said her husband was dying and her son was very badly hurt. Then we rang 999. Lots came, police, ambulances, armed police as well, maybe 16 to 17 vehicles. It was awful.'
The attackers entered the property and stabbed both victims. The man's wife and the boy's mother suffered minor injuries. Three other children in the property were uninjured.
Police are trying to establish why the father and son were targeted. They have appealed for anyone with information about suspicious activity before the attack to come forward. Officers want CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage. Thurnby is about four or five miles east of Leicester city centre.
The local council said the area, like many others, has had problems with antisocial behaviour, but has not seen violent crime of this seriousness. Residents are said to be scared and very concerned.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Police reported that a 15-year-old boy and his father, in his 50s, were stabbed inside their Leicestershire home by masked men early on Thursday, leaving both in critical condition, and described the attack as unprovoked. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News led with a correspondent-led update from the scene, giving priority to the neighbour's account and police lines. It stressed that the attack was unprovoked and that the father and son were targeted, while noting local anxiety and prior antisocial behaviour. The report also carried a direct appeal for CCTV, dashcam and doorbell footage.
- “A 15-year-old boy and his father are still in a critical condition after they were attacked by masked men at their homes in Leicestershire in the early hours of Thursday morning.”
- “Well, a neighbour has described what happens here in the early hours of Thursday morning as being like a horror scene and police are trying to unpick why this father and son were targeted.”
- “Now, the man's wife and the boy's mother suffered minor injuries and three other children on the property were uninjured, but police have said that this was a completely unprovoked attack.”
Broadcast Timeline
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