A 16-year-old boy is due to appear before Ipswich magistrates today charged with attempted murder following a weekend stabbing in a Kesgrave cul-de-sac.

By Paul Geater

A 16-year-old boy is due to appear before Ipswich magistrates today charged with attempted murder following a weekend stabbing in a Kesgrave cul-de-sac.

The teenager was questioned by police and later charged after the incident at an address in Sewell Wontner Close at around 7.30pm on Saturday.

The 17-year-old victim was taken to Ipswich Hospital with stomach wounds, where his condition is described as critical but stable.

Residents were stunned when police swooped on the close on Saturday evening.

Most knew nothing about the incident – but found their lives disrupted for about 20 hours after police threw a massive cordon around the area.

Although the cordon has now been lifted, residents today were still unaware of exactly what had happened but it is believed to have taken place at a party.

Police were called at about 7.30pm on Saturday after getting an emergency call.

They sealed off the quiet close of detached homes opposite Kesgrave's Tesco supermarket.

"We arrived home from holiday and had to show them proof that we lived here before they would allow us through the cordon," said one resident who asked not to be named.

Police were in the area all night, and the cordon remained yesterday morning while they searched nearby.

Residents knew nothing about the incident, but were shocked when police descended in their neighbourhood.

"We've never seen anything like this around here, no one knows what has happened," said another resident.

Most of the people we spoke to in the area did not know why the police had arrived and were keen to find out anything they could from reporters at the scene.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested and charged yesterday after being questioned at Ipswich police station.