'Bedford town centre is still safe' police and crime commissioner tells meeting after 17-year-old stabbed to death

Commissioner John Tizard was attending Bedford Borough Council’s Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Thursday, January 16) to talk about crime in the town.

“I think it would be remiss of me not to just reflect on the tragedy that occurred in the town centre last week and the appalling impact that’s had on the family and friends of the young man who was so tragically killed,” he said.

Thomas Taylor, a 17-year-old Bedford Academy student, died following an incident in Greenhill Street on January 8.

“The public of Bedford need to be reassured that this is not a series of issues and that, as tragic as [this] was, Bedford remains a safe town centre,” the PCC said.

Bedfordshire’s chief constable, Trevor Rodenhurst, added: “Clearly my thoughts, and the thoughts of all of the Bedfordshire Police service, go out to [Thomas’s] family and friends.

“You would have seen in the media that we have since arrested and charged initially four individuals with murder who’ve been remanded either to prison or youth offending institutions.

“And subsequently a further arrest and charge of a fifth person with murder who appeared at court today (Thursday).

“I hope that gives some small comfort in terms of the speed of the policing response to what was a terrible incident.

“Obviously, with the charging of that number of people with offences that serious, that ripple continues to affect more and more families and members of the community.

“There is a very hostile environment for that kind of offending, and we will continue to go after anyone involved in that type of criminality in this town and the rest of the county,” he said.

Anyone with any information on this incident should visit Bedfordshire Police’s major incident public portal, call police on 101 quoting Operation Cimarron, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.