Four dead in week of West Midlands stabbings Published duration 9 July 2017

Four men have died in a week of stabbings in the West Midlands.

The first of the four separate attacks happened on Monday, with the latest on Saturday afternoon.

The offences in Birmingham and Solihull are not linked, but have raised fears about knife crime in the area.

David Jamieson, the region's police and crime commissioner, said knife crime was a "major concern and has been for quite some time".

image caption A man died in a stabbing outside The Forge Tavern in Digbeth

Timeline of attacks:

image caption Officers at Twickenham Road, Kingstanding, on Saturday afternoon

Mr Jamieson said: "There has been a growing trend that's particularly prevalent in the warmer weather, The warm weather does bring out more crime, particularly crime that happens on the streets.

"It's desperately worrying. Any increase in any violent crime is worrying.

"The police are there to tackle the violence so people will have the full weight of the law thrown at them."

Elsewhere, a man was arrested on Saturday in connection with a stabbing at Merry Hill shopping centre in Brierley Hill at about 11:15 BST.

A 19-year-old man was taken to hospital to be treated for a stab injury, where he remains in a stable condition.