Teacher injured in Ammanford school stabbing named

Mrs Elias is Deputy Headteacher of the Ammanford school, formerly known as Amman Valley School. Credit: PA/Ysgol Dyffryn Aman School Website

ITV News understands one of the teachers injured in the Ysgol Dyffryn Aman school stabbing is Mrs Fiona Elias.

Mrs Elias is Deputy Headteacher of the Ammanford school, formerly known as Amman Valley School.

She is one of two teachers injured in the attack. The other has been reported as Liz Hopkin, a special needs teacher.

Both have now been discharged from hospital.

A teenager was also injured and has also been discharged

One teenage girl has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Another teacher has been hailed a hero after restraining the teenage girl during the attack.

Darrel Campbell disarmed the alleged attacker and put her in an armlock ahead of emergency services arriving according to his brother Cefin Campbell, a Plaid Cymru politician.

The Senedd member for Mid and West Wales, who is a former student, told BBC Radio Wales his brother intervened in the incident, which happened at the end of the morning break.

“He’s been a teacher there for 40 years and he was involved in the incident yesterday in the sense that he was the first at the scene and he obviously had to deal with a very distressing and chaotic situation,” Mr Campbell said.

“He probably did what most people would have done in the same situation, try to calm things and restrain people from making the situation worse.

“Obviously he’s been shaken by the whole experience as have all the staff, pupils, parents and so on.

“But I think it’s the sense of shock because he’s been there for 40 years as teacher, he’s never ever seen anything like this.

“I think that hits home to people that it should happen in a place like this.”

Dyfed Powys Police officers remain at the school as the CID-led investigation progresses.

In a statement they said “officers at the scene will be looking for evidence to assist the investigation, while other specialist teams will analyse any information submitted through our dedicated web page.

“We understand the level of concern in the community as people try to process the incident.

"We urge anyone affected by yesterday’s events to seek support, and not to share any videos, photos or information that might cause further distress to pupils or parents at the school."

The south-west Wales school went into lockdown after a “code red” alarm sounded through the PA system, during which students and staff are said to have hidden in classrooms – with one pupil reportedly vaulting the school fence to get to safety.

The lockdown lasted around four hours between 11.20am and 3.20pm, resulting in a lengthy and anxious wait for parents who were seen tearfully hugging their children after they walked through the gates.

All three victims were taken to hospital with stab wounds but Dyfed-Powys Police said their injuries were not life-threatening.

The force also said a knife has been recovered.Amman Valley School – a bilingual comprehensive school for pupils aged between 11 and 18 – will not open on Thursday to allow police to continue their investigation.

It is also known as Ysgol Dyffryn Aman and is maintained by Carmarthenshire County Council and provides education to 1,450 school pupils, in addition to 270 sixth form pupils.


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