THE angry mother of a teenage stab victim has this week called for tougher action on knife crime.

Jonathan Cooper, 17, was one of two young men who suffered a punctured lung during a double knife attack in the Valley Road area of Taunton in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Police were called to the incident just after 2am where they found Mr Cooper and his friend, David Holley, 22.

The pair had been repeatedly stabbed and were taken to the town's Musgrove Park Hos-pital with what were described as critical injuries.

As the County Gazette went to press yesterday (Wednesday) Mr Holley remained in a critical condition in hospital and Mr Cooper was described as 'poorly'.

Speaking to the County Gazette this week, Mr Cooper's mother, Sheila Clark, has told how her family woke up to a nightmare last Saturday with the news that her son had been stabbed.

"A girl from across the road banged on the door at about 2.30am saying Jonathan had been hurt," she said.

"We got a taxi and went straight to the hospital."

Mrs Clark, who works in the restaurant at County Hall, and her husband, Bill, have lived in Valley Road for the past 20 years with their three sons.

She said: "Though the area is supposed to be rough we've never had any problems.

"I'm so angry about what's happened - Jonathan has been a lucky boy, but something must be done before somebody else gets hurt.

"There's supposed to be a knife amnesty, but what good has it done?

"The law must get tougher on knife crime."

Former Heathfield Community School student Jonathan now works at the Royal Port-bury Dock with his father and 18-year-old brother, Will.

David Holley's family declined to comment when they were contacted by the County Gazette.

n A 21-year-old man was arrested shortly after the incident at an address in nearby Beadon Road.

He has been granted conditional bail pen-ding a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service.

n AROUND 60 knives have been handed in at Taunton Police Station over the first ten days of a month-long knife amnesty.

A police spokesman said the surrendered weapons included a number of bayonets, daggers and ornamental swords.

People in Wellington have also been getting behind the nationwide amnesty.

Fifteen knives and sharp objects have been handed into the town's police station since the five-week appeal started on May 24.

Speaking at Monday's town council meeting, Sgt Doc Nurse said he had been pleased with the response to the amnesty.

n A QUARTER of police officers in the Avon and Somerset force area have said they have been threatened by people with knives over the past two years.

A Police Federation survey found that 25% of officers in the force had faced such a sit-uation.

The figures in Devon and Cornwall are even higher with 26% of officers saying they have been threatened while, in Dorset, the figure was 21%.