A 13-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after two pupils were stabbed at a secondary school in north-west London.

The teenager, who has not been named because of his age, is due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Thursday, the Metropolitan police said.

He is accused of the attempted murder of two boys aged 12 and 13, and unlawfully and maliciously administering a noxious thing to a third child for allegedly spraying them with an unnamed substance. The incident happened at Kingsbury high school in Brent on Tuesday.

The boy has also been charged with possession of a knife on school premises without good reason or lawful authority.

Temporary commander Helen Flanagan, from counter-terrorism policing London, said: “These are extremely serious charges against a young boy, and we continue to support the victims and their families, as well as the wider school community following this shocking incident.

“While we have now charged the boy with these offences, our investigation is ongoing and detectives will continue to carry out inquiries in the local area.

“We are working closely with local policing colleagues in the Brent area and I would also like to thank the school and the wider local community for their support in recent days.”

A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.

“We have worked closely with the police as they have carried out their investigation. We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.

“It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”