A man was last night charged with murdering his nine-year-old brother.

The boy, named locally as Jackson Taylor, suffered multiple stab wounds in the garden of his sister’s home in Rookes Avenue, Wibsey, Bradford.

Daniel Taylor, 20, has been charged with murder and wounding with intent.

He remained in custody last night and was due to appear at Bradford Magistrates Court today.

Yesterday, neighbours told how desperate attempts were made to save the life of the nine-year-old who suffered terrible stab wounds in the garden of his sister’s home.

Alerted by screams, the boy’s dad raced to the scene of the attack in Rookes Avenue, and carried his son to the next-door neighbour’s home where they tried to keep him alive. The dead boy’s 18-year-old sister was also stabbed and taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Police said her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

Darren Hyland, who lives nearby, said he had returned home shortly after Thursday night’s attack.

He said: “I rang my wife for a lift home from the pub and while I was on the phone to her she said she could hear lots of hysterical screaming outside, it was awful.

“I shot home, got a taxi, and there was an ambulance outside my friend’s house so I rang him to see if he was all right.

“He got back to me later in the night. My mate told me what had gone on about the father of the boy bringing him to his doorstep and bringing him to his house and trying to resuscitate him.

“He tried and tried but he had gone. I was stood watching and then the boy’s sister came out and looked as though she had been stabbed as well. She had her arm bandaged. There were people running all over with no shirts on screaming.”

Jackson lived with his parents and older brother in Richardson Avenue, only a short distance from Rookes Avenue.

Mr Hyland said the Wibsey Primary School pupil was a “lovely lad”, who had been a friend of his 12-year-old son.

He added: “He was fantastic, everything about him was fantastic. I took him go-karting. He had never been before and he was a natural. I wanted to take him again. It’s shocked us, it really has. If he was stood here he would be trying to make us laugh.”

Trevor Bairstow, whose ten-year-old granddaughter, Leah, went to school with the victim, said he was horrified by the tragedy.

He said: “He was a normal little lad. I used to see him playing out and about. He never bothered us. What can you say? He’s a nine-year-old boy who’s been stabbed. It’s shocking.”

Leanne Barraclough, who lives in Oakroyd Road, which flanks the back of homes in Rookes Avenue, recalled screams of pain that broke the silence of the wintry evening.

She said: “It’s awful what’s happened. I was making tea and the back door was open when I heard something going on. Normally when we hear a disturbance outside, my husband jumps over the garden wall to see what’s going on.

“I’m absolutely gobsmacked. My daughter knew him from Wibsey Primary School. He was the funny one.”

Another woman, who lives close to the crime scene but did not want to be named, said: “I’m in total shock. I was at home at the time but I didn’t hear anything.

“You don’t expect something to happen like this right on your doorstep.”

Rookes Avenue remained a hive of police activity yesterday. Police stood guarding a cordon which enclosed the scene of the attack and extended to the end semi-detached property in Richardson Avenue on one side and interrupted Royds Hall Avenue on the other.

Forensic officers suited, hooded and masked all in white, trailed to and from a van at regular intervals for hours as they gathered evidence at the pebble-dashed end-terrace property.

A white-topped tent was visible immediately next to the back of the house in a small high-fenced garden.

Officers were also present outside the boy’s home in Richardson Avenue.

Kath Tunstall, Bradford Council’s strategic director for services to children and young people, said: “The death of the nine-year-old boy is a dreadful tragedy. Our thoughts and sympathy are with his grieving family, teachers and friends.

“We are working with the police to support the family and the school at this terrible time.”

No-one at Wibsey Primary School, which was shut yesterday for the half-term holiday, wanted to comment.

Police have urged anyone who was in the Rookes Avenue area at the time of the stabbings, which took place at about 7.45pm on Thursday, to contact Detective Sergeant Simon Leek on 0845 6060606.