MP: watch out for web

READING East MP Matt Rodda has said lessons must be learned from the murder of a teenager.

Olly Stephens, 13, was stabbed to death at Bugs Bottom fields near his home in Emmer Green in January last year.

The attack by two other teenage boys was planned on social media and triggered by a dispute on a group chat.

Mr Rodda was speaking before a BBC Panorama documentary on Monday reported on the case and investigated the dangers of social media.

Speaking in the House of Commons, he blamed social media companies for directing young people to content which promotes the carrying of knives.

He said: “This is utterly appalling. Our whole community is shocked and deeply upset and indeed angry by the behaviour of these companies.”

In the programme, Olly’s friends shared stories about him while being filmed sitting on a special wooden bench placed in Bugs Bottom in his memory.