Knife crime continues to be a stain on our community. As part of The Northern Echo's manifesto, we urge the next government to step in and do something about knife crime after the general election.

Connor Brown, Jack Woodley, Gordon Gault and Tomasz Oleszak.

These are just some of the names of young people from the North East who have seen their promising lives, their futures, snatched away from them all because of knife crime.

The Northern Echo: Jack Woodley, Gordon Gault, Tomasz Oleszak and Connor Brown.Jack Woodley, Gordon Gault, Tomasz Oleszak and Connor Brown. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

We have seen parents left devastated, families torn apart and communities left distraught from these heartbreaking crimes. These youngsters were on nights out, visiting the park - or even having a trip to the fair with friends when tragedy struck.

Knives have polluted our communities. Cleveland itself is one of the knife crime capitals of the UK - second only to London. What can be done to stop these heartbreaking acts of violence?

For a year now, The Northern Echo has been lobbying senior MPs and leaders with the North East Knife Crime Taskforce to heed our calls to:

  • Educate children on the dangers of knife crime
  • Improve sentencing for young people 
  • Decrease the availability and accessibility of knives

It is of paramount importance that we ask politicians and education leaders to stand up for young people - do the right thing and make teaching on knife crime a part of the national curriculum to be taught alongside PSHE. Teach children about the dangers of knives, why you shouldn't carry them and most importantly the utter devastation they can cause.

Detective Inspector Chris Deavin said it best at the sentencing of Leighton Amies, the boy who was sentenced to a minimum sentence of 12 years after he stabbed Tomasz Oleszak to death.

He said: “To anyone who chooses to carry a weapon of any kind or believes that violence is acceptable – the consequences can be devastating.

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“Look at the pain this tragedy has caused – not only could you take away someone else’s future and destroy the lives of their loved ones, but also ruin your own and those of your family and friends.”

For our children, these calls cannot and must not fall on deaf ears regardless of where you land on the political spectrum.

It is up to the next government in power to take fast action on knife crime at its root and help stop senseless acts of murder that are tearing families both up and down the North East apart.