A 13-YEAR-OLD boy has been jailed for a decade after stabbing another youngster three times outside a youth club in Ladywell.

His 14-year-old victim will be on antibiotics for the rest of his life, following the knife attack outside the Ladywell Centre in Dressington Avenue on February 18 this year.

The young attacker, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denied a charge of attempted murder but was found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court earlier this month.

He was jailed at the Old Bailey yesterday and was told he would spend a minimum of five years in a young offenders institute before being considered for release on license, which will last for a further three years.

Emergency services were called to the scene of the attack at around 9.30pm to reports of a stabbing.

Youth workers who were nearby at the time rushed to the victim and provided him with first aid before paramedics from London Ambulance Service arrived.

The boy was then rushed to hospital suffering from three separate stab wounds, including one to his chest.

His attacker was arrested the next day, along with two other youths who were later released without charge.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Mary Mountford: "The victim sustained multiple stab wounds, the most serious to his chest which ultimately resulted in the removal of his spleen and whilst he has managed to make somewhat of a full recovery he will be on antibiotics for the rest of his life.

“If youth workers had not come to his aid providing him with the initial first aid he quite possibly may have died.

“The boy who has been sentenced today for attempted murder at the time did not think about the long term impact his behaviour would have on the victim's life and his own life."

Detective Chief Inspector Barry Smith of Lewisham police added: "We are committed to tackling the issues of serious youth violence and knife crime in Lewisham, continuing to work with our partners to try and steer young people away from engaging in criminal behaviour.”