Drive to stop boys as young as 11 carrying knives

A campaign which aims to make children think twice about carrying knives has been launched.

The "knives take lives" campaign targets boys aged 11 to 14 who "may be starting to feel pressure to carry a knife", South Yorkshire Police said.

Deputy Chief Constable Sarah Poolman said young people's perception that many of their peers carry knives "builds fear and leads them to believe they must carry too, to protect themselves".

"In reality, 99.75% of people in South Yorkshire don't carry a knife, and sadly we know all too well that carrying a knife in fact puts you in further danger," Ms Poolman said.

Teenage boys account for a disproportionate number of people caught carrying a bladed article, according to South Yorkshire Police.

Research showed they usually did so for perceived protection or for social status among their friends.

The campaign launched on 29 January, three years after Ryan Theobald, 20, and Janis Kozlovskis, 17, were murdered on a night out in Doncaster city centre.

Ms Poolman added: "Fewer knives on our streets reduces the risk of another local family grieving the loss of a loved one, and another young person destroying their own future and ending up behind bars."

South Yorkshire has the fourth highest number and rate of knife crime offences in the country, with five people dying after being stabbed in 2024.

A video, based on a real stabbing in South Yorkshire by a teenager, was put together as part for the campaign by Det Con Thomas Ryan and students at The Sheffield College.

Angela Foulkes CBE, chief executive and principal, said: "The safety and wellbeing of our college community is a top priority.

"Raising awareness about the devastating impact of knife crime and how students can keep themselves safe is vital."

Youth groups, students, criminal justice organisations, schools and safeguarding forums were all consulted with to develop the campaign.

Amrit Jhagra, then 19, was jailed for the murder of Janis and Ryan after the two groups of friends the men were with became involved in a fight. He was given a 24-year sentence at Sheffield Crown Court.

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