Leo Ross: Tragic schoolboy told friends of his 'fear' in 'sketchy' woods where he was killed

12-year-old Leo Ross regularly utilized The Shire Country Park successful Hall Green, Birmingham, arsenic a short-cut connected his mode location and was fatally knifed determination connected Tuesday afternoon.

Tragic stabbing unfortunate Leo Ross chillingly told pals helium feared walking done the “sketchy” woods wherever helium was stabbed to death.

The 12-year-old was fatally knifed arsenic helium cycled done the state parkland successful Hall Green, Birmingham, connected his mode location from schoolhouse connected Tuesday.

Detectives were granted much clip contiguous to quiz a 14-year-old lad arrested connected suspicion of murdering Leo.

The teen is besides being questioned astir 3 assaults connected pensioners successful the country successful the days earlier the killing.

One of the attacks took spot conscionable hours earlier Leo was savagely stabbed successful The Shire Country Park.

Locals said the park, which is utilized arsenic a shortcut by schoolhouse kids, has been plagued by anti-social behaviour.

Leo was conscionable minutes distant from his location erstwhile helium was attacked. He was airlifted to infirmary aft being stabbed successful the tummy but aboriginal died from his wounds.

Leo’s pal and classmate Jack Pugh, 13, told the Mirror his person regularly went done the parkland connected the mode location to his foster family.

“It was his cut-through,” helium said. “He ever said it was a sketchy country to beryllium honest. He was a truly bully lad. Nothing truly bothered him that overmuch and helium was wide a truly bully person.

"He was conscionable a mean lad who liked to play video games connected PS and things similar that. We heard astir it connected the time it happened and determination was rumours it was Leo.”

He tried to substance his person to cheque if helium was good but nary of them made it through. Tragically Jack recovered retired aboriginal that nighttime that Leo had passed away.

He said: “One of his different friends told maine and I was shocked. You conscionable would ne'er expect it. He was specified a bully lad.”

The schoolboy arrested for Leo’s execution was initially besides held connected suspicion of attacking a pistillate successful her 80s.

But contiguous constabulary revealed helium was besides being quizzed implicit 2 much assaults connected aged members of the nationalist successful Hall Green.

West Midlands Police said the victims of the assaults are aged successful their 70s and 80s.

Chief Supt Richard North said: “I would inquire the nationalist and the media not to speculate connected the motive of this incident. The probe is successful the aboriginal stages and we person idiosyncratic successful custody.”

Tributes continued to determination successful for Leo today. Relatives described him arsenic “the astir beautiful, benignant child” who “had not 1 assertive bony successful his body”.

A elemental and poignant representation of Leo with an big antheral and a young miss was placed successful beforehand of a reddish lantern astatine the country yesterday.

A paper near adjacent to the lantern read: “Rest successful bid my boy, emotion ma and dada xxx.”

A graffiti mural featuring Leo's sanction and an anti-knife transgression connection appeared other his schoolhouse overnight.