Boy held after Newcastle teenager stabbed to death

LONDON, May 3 (Reuters) A 16-year-old boy was arrested today on suspicion of murder after a teenager died following a stabbing incident.

Mark Smith, 16, from Newcastle, died after an argument on a street corner in the west of the city yesterday.

He was found with a stab wound to his neck at 11:20 pm local time and taken to Newcastle General Hospital but died later.

Northumbria Police believe there were a number of people in the area at the time of the attack who may have seen what happened.

Detective Chief Inspector Roger Ford, who is leading the investigation, said, ''Knife crime is completely unacceptable and it's vital that people come forward with information.'' The death is the latest in a spate of knife murders of young men in inner cities that has shocked local communities and dominated newspaper headlines.

A senior judge this week said a growing knife culture was causing ''death and devastation'' and had to be stopped.

Reuters RS DB2240