Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has praised the work of the North East Knife Crime Taskforce after joining members at the latest meeting.

She met families of murder victims, teachers, sports clubs representatives and people from across the criminal justice system to learn more about the Northern Echo’s campaigning public forum.

Formed as part of the newspaper’s hard-hitting knife initiative, the taskforce gives people and groups from across the region the chance to share ideas and information to stop lives being lost on our streets.

It was launched in the wake of the murder of 18-year-old Jack Woodley from Newton Aycliffe who died following a sage gang attack as he left a fun fair.

Ms Cooper said: “This was a really powerful meeting and what The Northern Echo has done is bring families who have lost loved ones to this devastating crime together with all of the different organisations who can do something about it.

“We have already developed a lot of Labour policies based on the work The Northern Echo has been doing with some of the parents we have met and that is so important.

“We need strong action on online knives, on tackling the gangs, on making sure carrying knives carry consequences but we have got to do the prevention work with schools, young people and different organisations.”

The Northern Echo: Yvette Cooper Yvette Cooper (Image: Sarah Caldecott)The meeting was held at Durham University and Ms Cooper heard moving first-hand accounts from mums who lost their children to knife crime who are now campaigning to make the streets safer for other young people.

Theresa Cave, from Redcar, who lost her son Chris, who was 17, in 2003, has been campaigning to educate children across the region ever since.

Alison Madgin, from Wallsend, lost her daughter, Samantha, at the age of 18 after a fatal stabbing in 2007.

Ms Cooper added: “This is really strong prevention work, hearing from families as well who know just how devastating knife crime can be.

“It is unthinkable when you try to imagine what it means to lose a son or daughter to knife crime.

“The strength that these families have shown in campaigning is incredible, and it is so that other families can have the lives of their children saved.”  

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Tanya Brown, from Sunderland, set up the Connor Brown Trust following the death of her 18-year-old son in 2019.

She said: “ This is a brilliant forum. The more people in the room, the more people are listening, and the more people are spreading the awareness further.

“We need to keep on having conversations with our young people about knife crime.”