POLICE have said they are "disappointed" after a teenager was cleared of the murder of his grammar school friend with a flick knife.

The boy, aged 17, stabbed Yousef Makki, also 17, in the heart with a knife on a tree-lined street in the upmarket village of Hale Barns, Cheshire, popular with footballers and celebrities.

Yousef, from a single-parent Anglo-Lebanese family from Burnage, south Manchester, had won a scholarship to the prestigious £12,000-a-year Manchester Grammar School.

The defendant, boy A, and another boy, 17, boy B, both from wealthy Cheshire families, were cleared of all charges following a four-week trial at Manchester Crown Court.

Neither of the defendants can be named as they are aged under 18.

Following the verdicts, Detective Chief Inspector Colin Larkin, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “Although we are disappointed in today’s verdict, we must respect the decision of the jury.

“In losing their son, Yousef’s mum and dad have been faced with every parent’s worst nightmare, and we have specialist officers continuing to support Yousef’s family as they come to terms with the verdict.

“I know people in the community may be shocked and upset, but I would urge people to be respectful of Yousef’s family and their feelings as they come to terms with today’s conclusion.

“Our main focus will be providing support to the family and we will be engaging with the Crown Prosecution Service over the coming day to consider the next steps to take with our investigation.”

The jury had heard the stabbing was an "accident waiting to happen" as all three indulged in "idiotic fantasies" playing middle class gangsters.

Despite the privileged backgrounds of both defendants, they led "double lives".

Calling each other "Bro" and "Fam" and the police "Feds", the defendants and Yousef smoked cannabis, road around on bikes, "chilling" and listened to rap or drill music.

They would post videos on social media, making threats and posing with "shanks" or knives.

Boy A denied murder on March 2, claiming he acted in self-defence.

He admitted perverting the course of justice by lying to police and possession of a flick knife.

Boy B, was cleared of perverting the course of justice by allegedly lying to police about what he had seen but also admitted possession of a flick knife.

Both were also cleared of conspiracy to commit robbery in the lead up to Yousef's death.