Knife crime campaigner calls for school bleed kits

A Redditch campaign group wants to equip all local schools with bleed kits amid rising concerns over knife crime.

It follows high-profile attacks across the country, including the fatal stabbing of 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose in Sheffield.

Self-defence expert Peter Martin, who leads Redditch's Drop the Knife Campaign, said people were becoming increasingly concerned.

He said schools and parents had been in contact about organising kits in schools, but added: "You hope and pray it's never needed."

He said he had been contacted by five schools on Thursday alone, and parents had been in touch wanting to donate funds or kits.

Redditch Self Defence Association's website, which is run by Mr Martin, states it has supplied 85 kits to the community that are endorsed by the ambulance service and registered in a national database.

Mr Martin said it was rare for a young person to take a blade into school, but added: "Since going back from Christmas break, I've supported two young people just in Redditch that have taken knives to school."

Explaining why youngsters sought help, he said: "They're scared. They hear things on social media. They're worried about being bullied or other people having knives – so fear is always the number one driver."

He said he ran school assemblies where role-play showed carrying a knife "not only doesn't keep you safe, it puts you in more harm".

He said: "You can be injured just by carrying a sharp instrument. We have young people that just have accidents."

Carrying a blade could escalate situations, he said.

"They access the bladed article thinking the other person is going to somehow say 'I'm scared' and run off, but if they're a dangerous individual themselves they could access their own weapon, it could escalate problems, it could create a fight."

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