BOLTON West MP and Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly has tried to ease fears over a spate of violent attacks on teenagers.

Ms Kelly said while the deaths were tragic, and her thoughts were with the families, similar crimes were not "sweeping the country".

"I wouldn't go from the fact that these incidents, tragic as they are, to the fact that this is a problem somehow that is sweeping the country," she told ITV's Sunday Edition programme.

"These are still, even though they are more prevalent than we'd like, relatively isolated incidents which cause extraordinary grief and agony in particular communities.

"We've got again to think about the security response, but also to think about the nature of those communities, how we intervene to tackle the gang culture, how we create resilient communities, and work with families and voluntary organisations to combat that."

Ms Kelly spoke out after Friday's fatal stabbing of Keith Platt on a weekend which saw two other men stabbed to death in Greater Manchester.

A 24-year-old man died after being stabbed at Moss Side Community Centre, Manchester, on Saturday, and a 21-year-old man died of stab wounds in Hattersley.