‘This could have been another stabbing, there are students out there that are potentially carrying a knife.’

A Hornchurch man is warning parents and their children to be vigilant after seeing a teenager in Ardleigh Green pull out a ‘Rambo’ style knife in broad daylight.

Danny, who owns a local building company, was parked in a lay-by near Tesco in Ardleigh Green when he witnessed the shocking incident.

Danny told the Havering Daily: “I had parked my van in a lay-by and was waiting for a taxi behind me to move so I could pull in properly.

“I saw a group of 15-20 teenagers, they were all black and wearing hoodies and puffer jackets. They walked from the college and stood around outside of the Tesco. One of them moved to the back of my van and began going round it and another followed him and then took out what looked like an eight-inch Rambo style knife from the inside pocket of his jacket.

“I saw the other teenager run off and another group of teenagers who were also outside the shop just froze in panic. I was shocked at what I was seeing.”

Danny then called the police to inform them of what he had just witnessed and the police responded within minutes.

“I called the police just after 1pm and two vans full came to the scene but by then he had moved on and I didn’t see where he had gone to.

“I was very shocked by it all, this could have been another stabbing. I am concerned that there are students out there that are potentially carrying a knife. I contacted the local college to inform them of what I saw but no one has ever responded to my voicemail.

“Parents and their children need to be vigilant and know that there are teenagers outside on our streets with knives. I’m trying to raise awareness of this to warn people.

“These are gangs of youths coming from outside of Havering. We need more police presence in the area, especially near the college.”

The Havering Daily contacted Havering College for a response but none has been provided so far.