A month of violence in Preston
PLUS: Midwives failed to provide basic care to baby girl Ida Lock - and a coroner has called for change
Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead.
It has been a concerning month for people living in and around Preston thanks to a number of serious and violent incidents.
The death of Gary Carlisle is the most serious of these incidents, but on Monday two 15-year-old boys were stabbed close to a city park. Three have been arrested.
There have been other incidents, including a mass brawl with weapons spilling over from a retail park to nearby streets.
We’ve spoken to police and campaigners about the issue after the most violent month in Preston in recent memory. It is important to stress - and you’ll see this in our reporting on a number of occasions - there is nothing to link these incidents. But it is a high volume in a very short space of time in a way that Preston is not used to.
We’ve also looked at the death of Ida Lock. Baby Ida died at Royal Lancaster Infirmary in 2019 due to the gross failures of midwives - now a coroner is demanding change.
Preston’s month of violence leaves its mark on the city
By Luke Beardsworth
The news agenda in Preston in March began dominated by the M6 but the second Wednesday morning brought a much darker incident.
A man was attacked, in brutal fashion, on Moor Nook estate while reportedly out walking his dog. Video footage too graphic to share showed a topless white man being Tasered by police, and blood in the road.
The victim, since named as Gary Carlisle, would die in hospital a week later - meaning this was now a murder investigation.
A community came together in mourning and while the incident was the most serious and impactful to occur in Preston, it was just the first of many high-profile, violent events to occur - most of which happened in broad daylight.
The most recent incident saw two young teenagers stabbed close to Moor Park. One of the UK's leading anti-knife crime campaigners and school educators, who has campaigned since the death of his brother more than a decade ago in Preston, says he is 'not surprised' about the stabbing incident in Moor Park.
Byron Highton, who runs The JJ Effect headquartered in the city and now running sessions for schoolchildren and young people which have been branded as 'shocking' for their graphic content, has given his insight into the problem with youth violence he says is not just afflicting Preston but right across the country.
He said: "However bad people think it is, from what they read and what they see, then it is worse. So much worse. There is a culture, driven by music, social media and more which is fuelling violence amongst our young people. So I am not surprised by what's happened in Moor Park, as sad as it is.
"I've been into the majority of schools in Preston now, and much further afield as my sessions have grown in their reputation, and I can tell you now there's kids acting like and wanting to be gangsters."
"They are seeing it all on TikTok, on social media, and on Netflix - the hypocrisy of Netflix with Adolescence when they've got other dramas where actors are convicted of stabbing. That's shocking. Everyone, from vape companies, to music stars, to social media, they are all just cashing in and it's our young people who are taking the hit.
"Until that changes then we're in a war. It is, you ask any teacher, anyone who works with children and how in the last 20 years - since phones got cameras - it has escalated.
"I hear young people talk about how they are going to kill each other, do horrible things to each other, it is terrifying."
The spate of violent incidents - which are not believed to be linked - have the attention of Lancashire Constabulary and Lancashire’s elected Police and Crime Commissioner - as you’d expect.
We’ve looked at these incidents and where the police investigations are up to.
The death of Gary Carlisle
At 6.15am on 12 March, police were called to Ribbleton Hall Drive to reports of a serious assault.
Gary Carlisle, 62, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Footage too graphic to share showed blood in the road and a man, arrested, being hit with a taser by police. Nearby Moor Nook Primary School stayed closed for the day while police carried out their investigation.
A man in his 30s, understood to be white British and from Preston, was arrested near to the scene and has since been detained under the Mental Health Act.
On 19 March, it was confirmed that Carlisle had died in hospital and this was now a murder investigation.
The investigation remains active and, at the time of writing, nobody has been charged in relation to the death of Gary Carlisle.
News of his death saw hundreds gather for a vigil at Ribbleton Hall Drive on March 23, where balloons were released in tribute.
Speculation in the aftermath of the attack saw both Lancashire Constabulary and local councillors move to confirm that the person arrested was a white British man in 30s.
It is unusual for those details to be released before a man is charged, but Whatsapp groups and other areas of social media had seen speculation regarding his ethnicity.
Deepdale Retail Park
Armed police made five arrests after a brawl spilled over from Deepdale Retail Park onto nearby streets.
A two-car crash at the retail park at midday on a Wednesday (26 March) resulting in weapons pulled and two groups, with weapons, scrapping in the car park.
By the time police got there, everyone had cleared the area but police were soon called to a further brawl at nearby Grange Avenue and close to a primary school.
Armed police went to the scene and made five arrests. They are two men aged 19, a man aged 23 and an 18-year-old woman. A 42-year-old woman has also been arrested on suspicion of possessing cannabis.
At the time of writing, nobody has been charged following the incident.
Armed police in Ribbleton
Two men were charged after an incident in Ribbleton this week that sparked response from armed police.
Police were called to report of a collision between a motorbike and a parked car on Willow Crescent just after 4pm on 17 March. Shortly after, they received a report of an attempted robbery before the collision in which a man was threatened with a weapon and assaulted.
It was reported that a man was chased on his motorbike in the attempted robbery in the New Hall Lane and Blackpool Road area, before the collision on Willow Crescent.
Police were able to arrest two men, 19 and 18, on suspicion of wounding at around 4.35pm.
Leo Reynolds, 18, of Tay Mews, Leyland was later charged with: attempt robbery, section 18 wounding with intent, handling stolen goods, failing to stop, driving without insurance and driving otherwise than in accordance with a license.
Reynolds was also charged with offences in relation to a separate incident on 13 March 2025. He was charged with dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving otherwise than in accordance with a license, driving without insurance, and possession of a bladed article in a public place.
Jake Slater, 19, of Galloway Close, Leyland was later charged with attempted robbery, section 18 wounding with intent and handling stolen goods.
Both men have been remanded to prison.
Moor Park stabbings
On 31 March, two teenage boys, 15, were stabbed in an incident at Moor Park.
One of the boys is in hospital in a serious condition while the other escaped with less severe injuries.
An investigation is underway into the incident. Three teenage boys have been arrested.
A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and affray and a 15-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of section-18 wounding and affray.
A third boy, 15, has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. All three are from Preston and remain in custody.
Police did not rule out that the incident was gang-related when asked.
A spokesperson for police said: “The investigation is ongoing. The background to what happened and the motive for the assault is a key line of enquiry, and we are speaking to witnesses and members of the community to understand that. Anyone with information, please contact 101, quoting log 1001 of 31st March.
“Lancashire Police uses a multifaceted approach to tackling knife crime including; stopping the sale and supply of knives solely intended to harm, understanding the drivers behind knife carrying, identifying opportunities to focus on current and potential knife-carriers, finding and seizing knives and supporting our communities to feel safe.”
‘I want to reassure the people of Preston that serious violence of any kind will not be tolerated’
Clive Grunshaw, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire told The Lancashire Lead: "My thoughts are with those affected by recent incidents, and although these events are not connected, they understandably cause concern among the wider public. I want to reassure the people of Preston that serious violence of any kind will not be tolerated, and every incident is taken seriously.
"I have regular updates with the Chief Constable and the local police division, and will continue to ensure the Constabulary has the resources and support needed to tackle serious violent crime, a priority in my police and crime plan.
"I have recently secured Government funding to continue the prevention work of Lancashire Violence Reduction Network, including community projects, educational programmes, and targeted policing operations tackling all forms of serious violence.
"While we work hard to prevent crime, when incidents do occur, officers are dedicated to bringing offenders to justice, supporting victims, and reassuring the public. I also commission vital services to support victims of crime through Victim Care Lancashire and would urge anybody who needs emotional support or practical help following a crime to access available services.
"I'd encourage anyone with information or concerns to come forward and speak with police. Making Lancashire a safer place to live and ensuring the public feels safe is at the heart of my police and crime plan, and I will continue to hold the Constabulary accountable to deliver the most effective and efficient policing service possible."
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More babies could die unless there are big changes at Royal Lancaster Infirmary, says coroner
By Jamie Lopez
More babies could die at Royal Lancaster Infirmary if there is not an end to the culture of secrecy and a change in leadership, a coroner has warned.
“Wholly incompetent failure”, attempted cover-ups, and a denial of responsibility were all exposed during the inquest of Ida Lock, a girl who died aged just seven days as a result of the failures of the midwives who delivered her.
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