Andy Burnham has promised Greater Manchester Police will do everything they can to make students feel safe following a stabbing in Fallowfield.

The mayor said his heart goes out to the family of the 19-year-old boy who was killed in a ‘random attack’ in Wilmslow Road on Wednesday morning (26 October).

Police have now confirmed that the young man who was taken to hospital with stab wounds was a student at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU).

Speaking on BBC Radio Manchester on Thursday morning (27 October), Mr Burnham said students should feel safe in the city and promised to help however he can.

But he refuted claims that there is a ‘knife epidemic’ in Greater Manchester.

He said: “I know when these incidents happen they are high profile, they’re shocking, but the figures don’t say that there is a massive increase between last year and this year. But of course, everybody would say it’s far too high.

“I don’t think we’d say there is an exponential increase. But we’re very worried about the issue.”

According to an annual report produced by the deputy mayor’s office, there were 3,818 recorded incidents of knife crime in the year ending March 2021.

This figure increased to 18 per cent in the next year, with 4,510 incidents recorded.

The report also reveals that 43 per cent of suspects and 39 per cent of victims of knife crime in Greater Manchester are aged under 25, mostly young men and boys.

However, Mr Burnham said the latest figures presented at a knife crime summit last week in Manchester were broadly comparable to last year.

Nevertheless, he said he would speak to the Vice Chancellor of MMU later on Thursday (27 October) and meet with the student representative bodies soon.

He spoke of the importance of having a police presence in the community.

The Labour mayor also said there are now more police officers on the streets this year than there were last year and more people are stopped and searched.

He added: “That is a controversial tactic and it has to be done carefully but it is being done carefully by Greater Manchester Police and there are significantly more stops and searches taking place to apprehend people with weapons.

“If more weapons are being carried, obviously it follows that more needs to be done to find those.”