A community skate park in the Aire Valley will host an event tonight designed to reassure youngsters of its safety after the shock stabbing of a nine-year-old boy there last week.

The reassurance event will take place at the Carnegie Skate Park, in the Windhill area of Shipley.

Professional skateboarders will be demonstrating their skills and showing children just what can be achieved at the special event run by local youth workers.

The action starts at 6.30pm and there will also be activities for younger children.

Local PCSOs and Bradford Council wardens will be on hand to help reassure parents about the safety of the park and give them information about how children can stay safe.

The Windhill & Wrose Ward Young Person Activity Group, chaired by the ward officer, wanted to co-ordinate a response to reassure the community, particularly young people and parents.

Since the incident, there have more patrols by wardens from the Council and police officers.

One ward councillor spoke of the importance of the event.

Coun Susan Hinchcliffe, who represents Windhill and Wrose, said: “This recreation area has been used safely by local children for years, but we need this type of event to help reassure local parents that these incidents are extremely rare and children can still play safely at the skate park.”

In 2007, the Telegraph & Argus reported how a new skate park was to be funded by cash from the Council’s main budget for the people of Windhill.

Since it opened, it has proved popular with youngsters as a meeting place at the heart of the community.