Darrel Campbell, who has worked at Amman Valley School for 40 years, is ‘shaken’ following yesterday’s stabbing as his brother added there is a sense of ‘disbelief’ in the ‘close-knit’ community
The brother of a hero teacher who jumped into action and bravely disarmed a teenage girl with a knife has paid tribute to him.
Darrel Campbell, who has worked at the school for 40 years, reportedly put the pupil in a headlock after wading into the horror during yesterday morning’s break in the playground at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman – Amman Valley School – in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Witnesses say Mr Campbell was able to wrestle the butterfly knife from the girl and keep her detained until police arrived.
Dyfed-Powys Police said a teenage girl was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, after three people – two teachers and a teenager – were rushed to hospital with stab wounds. “Everyone was running and there were screams… Mr Campbell arrived on the scene and put her in a headlock and got the knife off her,” a source said.
Now, Mr Campbell’s brother Cefin, who is Plaid Cymru’s Member of the Senedd for Mid & West Wales, said the teacher was left “shaken” by the experience as he had never witnessed anything similar during his long career. He told BBC Radio Wales: “There is a sense of disbelief but there is also a sense that this community will provide support. We are close-knit and resilient.”
Talking about his brother’s actions, he said: “He has been a teacher there for 40 years. He was the first at the scene. He had to deal with a very stressful, chaotic situation. He did what most people would do and tried to calm things and restrain people from making the situation worse.
“He has been shaken by the whole experience. Because he has been there for 40 years he has never, ever seen anything like this. Questions will have to be asked about security but our thoughts are with those who have been badly affected. We have all been affected in different ways but we will all pull together.” Mr Campbell is understood to not have been harmed during the incident.
Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, Darren Price, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to praise the teachers, staff and pupils at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman for the way they have responded to this shocking incident.” 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.
Footage of the incident has been circulating online, with a number of newspapers reporting the contents of one video in which a panicked pupil can be heard shouting about someone getting stabbed. All three victims were taken to hospital with stab wounds but Dyfed-Powys Police said their injuries are 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 maintained by Carmarthenshire County Council and provides education to 1,450 school pupils, in addition to 270 sixth form pupils.
