Youth violence could rise if more isn’t spent on youth work, a parish councillor has warned.

Stephen Henderson, chairman of Central Swindon North Parish Council, gave the dark assessment in the wake of a stabbing in Pinehurst last week.

A 16-year-old boy was taken to hospital with knife wounds after a massed brawl in The Circle. The fight is understood to have been between rival groups from Pinehurst and Penhill.

Coun Henderson told the Adver: “The councillors of Central Swindon North Parish Council, are united in our concern about such tragic events.

“We are acutely aware that with the consistent reduction of funding for vital youth provision allocated to the borough council, the occurrence of this kind of incident is, regrettably, likely to increase.

“The parish councillors are committed to ensure that we continue to fund our existing youth worker and the service they lead and to expand that provision in any way that we possibly can, to work closely with the young people of the area and to bring the community and all our partner service providers to build a better environment for the wellbeing of all our people.”

Last week, parish council youth worker Aaron Webb said he would be stepping up efforts to work with young people around reducing violence.

“We’re going to carry on with the good work we’ve done over the last six or seven weeks in the summer holidays,” he said.

“We will be doing more one-to-one sessions and more small-group work, where we can raise concerns in regard to knife crime.

“We are going to put some local young people in contact with agencies that deal with knife crime.”

Violence in the area was likened by a senior Labour councillor this week to a “wave of gang warfare”.

Coun Jim Grant, the Labour group leader on Swindon Borough Council, made the comment as he quizzed cabinet member for public safety Coun Cathy Martyn about the incident.

Coun Martyn said: “Crime and disorder and anti-social behaviour are matters for the police and we are working closely with the police and providing the necessary support to them and the community.”

The Labour leader replied: “Pinehurst and Penhill are always at the top of the charts for crime and disorder and the decent people in the area are rightly sick of it.”

Swindon Borough Council was approached for comment, but had not responded by the time the Adver went to press.

Five people have been arrested in connection with the stabbing.

A 16-year-old boy has since been arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent. Two 22-year-old men and a 15-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of affray and another boy, 16, was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. All those arrested are from Swindon.