Police granted extra stop and search powers in Kings Heath ahead of vigil for Fred Shand

Carly Odell
By Carly Odell
Published 29th Mar 2023, 15:22 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now
The vigil will be held tonight so people can pay their respects to the 16-year-old

Police have been granted extra stop and search powers for tonight (Wednesday March 29) ahead of a vigil for Rohan ‘Fred’ Shand.

The vigil will be held in Park Square, Kings Heath to allow people to pay their respects to the 16-year-old who was fatally stabbed in Kingsthorpe on Wednesday March 22.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Northamptonshire Police has been granted the extra stop and search powers under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. It means that between 3pm and 10pm officers will be able to stop any pedestrian or vehicle in the designated area without any cause for suspicion and conduct a search for offensive weapons.

Police have been granted extra stop and search powers in the Kings Heath area of Northampton.Police have been granted extra stop and search powers in the Kings Heath area of Northampton.
Police have been granted extra stop and search powers in the Kings Heath area of Northampton.

The order covers the Kings Heath area of Northampton.

Chief Inspector Nathan Murray said: “Although we believe that Fred's tragic murder was an isolated incident, we understand that there is concern in the local area and authorising these extra police powers will help us provide a safe environment for everyone and support the wider community at this time.

“A Section 60 order is not something we authorise lightly but we are hopeful that these powers will deter anyone looking to cause trouble in the area tonight.

“The most important person in all of this is Fred and we want to do all that we can to ensure he can be remembered in a safe and peaceful way this evening.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
16-year-old Fred Shand died after being stabbed in Kingsthorpe on Wednesday March 22.16-year-old Fred Shand died after being stabbed in Kingsthorpe on Wednesday March 22.
16-year-old Fred Shand died after being stabbed in Kingsthorpe on Wednesday March 22.
Read More
More than £21,000 raised in less than a week to give 16-year-old fatal stab vict...

Section 60 powers allow officers to conduct searches without ‘reasonable suspicion' but only when a senior officer believes strict criteria have been met and it is needed to prevent serious violence.

Officers from the Northampton Neighbourhood Policing Team will also be taking part in extra patrols and anyone with any concerns in the local area is encouraged to approach one of our officers.

Two boys – one aged 14 and one aged 16 - have been charged with murder in relation to the incident. They appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Monday March 27. For legal reasons, they cannot be named. A 21-year-old man and a 49-year-old man were also arrested on the night of the incident but have been released with no further action.