Play warns youths of knife crime danger

DOMINIC WIGGAN - 04 November 2009

Nick Blackman and Daniel King star in the hard-hitting show

THE sickening realities of knife crime are being hammered home to school pupils in a bid to steer them away from the blade culture.

To mark Knife Crime Awareness Month, actors are performing a play about a young boy who gets involved with the wrong crowd and ends up stabbing a rival in a fight.

Redbridge Drama Centre was commissioned to produce the play by Redbridge Council's Youth Crime Prevention Service.

It has already started its tour and was performed at the centre, in Churchfields, South Woodford, this week to a handful of children and invited adults, including police borough commander Chief Supt Peter Terry.

After the show, which highlighted a number of facts and figures about knife victims and possible punishments, the youngsters were keen to have their say.

Georgia Carnaby, 14, who attends Hainault Forest High School, Harbourer Road, Hainault, enjoyed the show. She said: "It really fulfilled its purpose with us, and I think it will stop people from carrying knives.

"I found some of the facts quite shocking."

Ben Roberts, 14, who goes to Woodbridge High School, St Barnabas Road, Woodford Green, said the show had a big effect on him.

He said: "If I ever found out one of my friends was carrying a knife I would urge him not to, and I think this play proves to you what can happen if you get caught up in knife crime."

One 12-year-old, who goes to school outside of Redbridge, said: "A boy in my year was expelled for having a knife in school last year.

"He was found out when a girl told her parents It was really frightening."

Star of the play Daniel King hopes children can relate to the play.

He said: "The children like the fact this is taking place on their grounds, so it's as if this could all be happening in their classroom."

Mr Terry added his support and said: "If it stops just one person carrying a knife, stops just one person being stabbed, or makes just one person coming forward with information it will have done its job.