Anti-knife crime campaign steps up in Ilford for school holidays

Danny O’Brien, 46, has been working with communities across London to stop young people carrying weapons since the tragic death of 16-year-old Holloway School student Ben Kinsella in 2008.

Now he is offering free posters to schools and businesses across Redbridge to make young people “think again” about knives.

Danny said: “In the school holidays you’ve got six weeks of kids getting bored.

“Do parents know what their kids get up to? Do they know how many knives they have in the kitchen?

“Ilford is quite safe but if you look at the last couple of years there have been a few incidents.”

Last August a 17-year-old boy died after being stabbed at a party in Ilford High Road.

Danny hopes that displaying the posters will influence the way teenagers think about knives.

He said: “People think that if you stab someone they will just get up and be fine.

“They need to realise knives are a weapon and carrying them is not cool.”

One poster shows a baby holding a blade with the slogan “you were not born with a knife in your hand” while another warns “carry a knife and we’ll give you some time to think about it,” showing a man in prison.

Posters are free with £3 for postage. Tweet @sayingno2knives or call 07427261818 to order.