Olly Stephens: Teen remembered on first anniversary of death

Olly Stephens was stabbed to death in Emmer Green in Reading

Knife crime involving children "has to stop", the parents of a 13-year-old boy who was stabbed to death over a social media row have said.

Olly Stephens was attacked after being lured to a field in Emmer Green, Reading on 3 January 2021.

Stuart and Amanda Stephens said they wanted to "bring everybody together" in their son's memory, by holding a service to mark a year since his death.

Two boys, aged 14, were found guilty of Olly's murder in September.

More than 200 people stood outside St Barnabas Church for the service

More than 300 people attended the service, held at St Barnabas Church in Emmer Green.

Bishop of Reading, the Right Reverend Olivia Graham, led proceedings and was joined by Olly's family and friends, as well as members of the public who were able to listen on loudspeakers outside the church.

Amanda and Stuart Stephens said they wanted to highlight the problem of knife crime

Mrs Stephens said the past year had been a "living nightmare".

"Even though it is a year, I feel like I'm looking on to life rather than living it," she said.

Mr Stephens said: "When you come home, it's the quiet and the silence and the sadness and everything's painful because there's a memory in everything."

The couple said they wanted to continue to highlight the problem of knife crime among young people and have called for measures to prevent them being exposed to harmful material on social media.

Mrs Stephens spoke at the memorial service

Mr Stephens said: "We want people to remember Olly how he was and not the way he died.

"[The service] will raise awareness of knife crime and get those conversations started in households - talk to your children.

"We need to work together as a community to reduce knife crime - children murdering children - it has to stop."

A trial at Reading Crown Court. was told Olly had been lured to Bugs Bottom Field near his home by a girl he knew and trusted, after a dispute on social media, and "ambushed" by two boys.

One was sentenced to 13 years for murder and the other to 12 years.

The girl, who was 13 at the time, admitted manslaughter. She was sentenced to three years and two months but it was later increased to five years by the Court of Appeal.

None of those convicted can be identified for legal reasons.