Four teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the street.

The boy was knifed in what cops believe was a fight between two gangs in Birmingham on Monday evening.

The suspects – one aged 15, two 16-year-olds and another 17 – were arrested later and were today being quizzed at separate police stations.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said officers raced to Wash Lane in South Yardley at 5.55pm and cordoned off a large area near Oaklands Park.

He added: “The boy was taken to hospital where medics battled to save him. Despite their best efforts, the boy died a short time later.

“A post mortem examination will take place in due course. The lad’s family are being supported by specialist family liaison officers during this difficult time.”

The four teenagers, all from Birmingham, were arrested nearby by officers who flooded the area. They are being held at police stations across the city.

Specialist forensic scene investigators scoured the crime scene for clues while local officers conducted house-to-house enquiries and spoke to people who were in the park at the time of the fatal stabbing.

Detective Inspector Tom Chisholm, who is leading the murder probe, said: “This was a tragic incident and our deepest condolences go out to the young man’s family.

“A murder investigation was immediately launched. We have a team of detectives working with local officers to gain an understanding of what happened.

“We are aware that there were groups of young people in the area, some of whom may have left the scene before the police arrived.

“There is some suggestion that this was a fight which has tragically gone too far. I would ask that people who were in the park or anyone else with information to contact us immediately.”