EQUIPMENT intended to save the lives of knife crime victims was introduced at Riverside College only a week before two of its students were stabbed.

Staff at the Widnes sixth form received a bleeding control kit and training on how to use it from Cheshire Police on Monday, January 27.

A week later on Monday, February 3, two teenage boys were stabbed in a disturbance close to the college on Kingsway.

And the life-saving kit was used in order to treat one of the 16-year-olds, with the equipment ‘already proving invaluable’.

Bleeding control kits have been rolled out at community venues across Halton during the past few weeks.

Riverside College was the first recipient of the equipment, with Brookvale Recreation Centre in Runcorn set to be the next.

Runcorn and Widnes World:

Cheshire Police’s knife crime lead chief inspector Sarah Heath previously said: “We are no strangers to the devastating consequences of knife crime.

“The killings of 18-year-old Eddie O’Rourke in Runcorn and pub landlord Christian Thornton in Widnes over the past few years represent ultimate examples of why people shouldn’t carry knives.

“A person can bleed to death in just five minutes if they are stabbed in the wrong place.

“It is essential to stem the loss of blood as soon as possible.

“Bleeding control kits enable members of the public to do this with all types of wounds before paramedics arrive.

“That can be the difference between life and death.”

The injured teens, who are both from Merseyside, were rushed to Aintree Hospital after the incident – although one has since been discharged and the other remained in a stable condition as of Tuesday.

No arrests have yet been made, and the force’s enquiries are ongoing.

Officers confirmed that the pair suffered serious injuries during an altercation involving a group of males shortly before 3pm.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Cheshire Police on 101, quoting incident number IML627919, or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.