A FELLOW passenger tried in vain to save Halesowen schoolgirl Christina Edkins in the moments after she was stabbed on a bus.

The 16-year-old girl Leasowes pupil died after being attacked on the number nine bus on Hagley Road in Birmingham just after 7.30am this morning, as she made her way to school.

Care home manager Steph Bent, who was also travelling on the service and witnessed the attack, attempted to save Christina’s life.

Her husband Darren, who spoke to his wife on the phone shortly after the attack, said: “She told me an argument suddenly broke out between a man and a girl.

“Then she thought the man had punched the girl. He then ran off the bus and the girl collapsed.

“She tried to revive her.

“Because she works at a care home she knows CPR and she tried to stem the flow of blood.

“But unfortunately there was nothing she could do.”

Mr Bent said his wife made the same journey every day to work from their Great Barr home.

He added: “I had spoken to her just before it happened because I phoned her as I was worried she had forgotten her dad’s birthday.

“All I keep thinking is it could have been Steph. I can’t imagine what the girl’s family are going through, it doesn’t bear thinking about.”

A 22-year-old man was later arrested at around midday near Morrisons supermarket.

Police spotted a man acting suspiciously who fitted the description of the suspect, following a short foot chase the man was arrested and is being held on suspicion of murder.

Detectives from the force’s Criminal Investigation Department continue to work alongside specialist Forensic Scene Investigators at the scene to identify CCTV systems which may have captured the incident on camera.

Detective Superintendent Richard Baker from Force CID said: “This is a tragic case and the victim’s family are devastated.

“We are still anxious to hear from anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident this morning to speak to us via the dedicated hotline 0800 096 0095.

“There will be a high police presence across the city this afternoon following this morning’s tragedy particularly on buses and in schools in the area to provide reassurance to local people.”

Police were initially alerted to the incident at 7.37am when the bus driver reported a passenger had been wounded.