Woman stabbed in neck in unprovoked attack at Birmingham bus stop dies

A woman who was stabbed in the neck in an unprovoked attack at a bus stop in Birmingham has died, police have confirmed.

The victim, who was 34, was targeted in Smallbrook Queensway, just outside the Bullring shopping centre, shortly before 21:00 GMT, on Friday, West Midlands Police said.

Djeison Rafael, 21, is due to appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court on Monday, charged over the attack.

He was charged with attempted murder but following the woman's death the charge will now be upgraded, West Midlands Police said.

The force said officers would be around the city centre on Monday to offer reassurance, and investigators were supporting the woman's family.

Detectives are appealing for witnesses who may have seen Mr Rafael, who is described as a Black British national, and is believed to have been wearing an all-grey tracksuit, black hat, trainers and rucksack.

The stabbing happened outside the Bullring shopping centre, opposite the main entrance to Birmingham New Street station.

Police said they were treating it as an "unprovoked attack" and Det Insp James Nix said they were working to understand why it happened.

Shalini Doal, who works nearby, told the BBC she saw the emergency response when she finished her shift at about 22:00 on Friday.

She described the scene has "quite chaotic", and same some of her colleagues heard a commotion at about 21:00.

"A lot of my colleagues take public transport, take the tram... our safety is at risk essentially, here in the city centre."

Ashley Birks, 25, from Stoke-on-Trent, said he came to Birmingham fairly regularly to see his girlfriend who lives in the city, and was concerned about what had happened.

"It makes me worried for my girlfriend," he said.

"She doesn't drive and works at all of the big music venues... and to think something completely unprovoked [happened], you know, it's horrible."