A teenager has died after he was stabbed on a busy beach in Scotland.
The incident happened last night on a beach in Irvine, North Ayrshire, where people had gathered to enjoy the warm weather.
The emergency services rushed to the beach at about 6.45pm after reports of a disturbance.
They found a 16-year-old boy seriously injured.
The boy, from East Kilbride, was treated at the scene before being taken to the hospital.
The young man fought for his life, but he succumbed to his injuries today. His family has been informed.
It is thought that the boy had tried to defend his friends from being attacked when he was critically injured, the Sun reports.
Detective Chief Inspector Campbell Jackson, from the major investigations team, said: ‘An extensive investigation is underway to establish the full circumstances surrounding this death. Our officers are supporting the boy’s family at this very difficult and heartbreaking time.
‘From our investigation so far, we know there were a number of people on the beach around the time of the disturbance. We believe several of them were filming at the time and may have footage of what happened.
‘I would urge people to review the footage they have and contact police if they think the footage captured could be of significance to our investigation.’
Detectives have also opened a dedicated website for members of the public to send information directly and anonymously to the investigation team.
Superintendent Jim McMillan said: ‘We understand this death will be of great concern for the local community, but please be assured that we are doing everything we can to identify those involved.
‘There will be additional patrols in the area as we carry out our enquiries and anyone with any concerns can approach these officers.’
People reacted to the news of his death on social media.
One person wrote: ‘Absolutely disgusting behaviour. Thoughts are with the wee boy’s family.’
Another one said: ‘So sad poor family no need for this kind of behaviour hope whoever did this gets what’s coming to them.’
One comment said: ‘Absolutely devastating for the boy’s friends and family. Completely unnecessary and more lives ruined as a result. It’s frightening for any parent now when their teens/young adults go out.’
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.