Young people are missing out on life-saving education to combat knife crime in gang hotspots

Exclusive by Lottie Kilraine
lottie@slpmedia.co.uk

Vulnerable young people are missing out on potentially life-saving education that could help combat knife crime in gang hotspots across South London.

Last week, the South London Press exclusively reported that a Surrender your Knife amnesty bin was left overflowing with blades outside Brixton Police Station.

A shocking video showed a man putting his hand into the slot at the top of the bin and easily pulling out a serrated ‘Zombie’ knife.

The deposit bins, supplied by Knife Angel, were created for knife carriers to give up their blades in a safe and anonymous way.

Clive Knowles, chairman and National Anti-Violence Tour Lead, said that although two programmes to educate youth about knife violence were touring the UK, neither had been invited to London.

He said: “The Angel and its Youth Educational Programme was created for London originally, but London has never benefited.

“It’s demoralising to keep hearing of all the London violence and to continually hear politicians talk about how much they’re doing and effectively it’s simply untrue.”

He added: “We supplied London with Free Knife Banks, it was never our responsibility to empty them.”

The Met Police have since emptied the Brixton knife bin and have said they will be reviewing the management of the scheme.

This is not the first time an attempt to combat knife crime in areas like Brixton and the surrounding boroughs has been ignored.

Mark Webb, who chairs the Southwark Neighbourhood Watch Association, started a campaign to secure a knife amnesty bin near his home in Camberwell Green following a spate of stabbings in the area.

Five years on, the 52-year-old is still campaigning for a permanent weapons bin to encourage knife carriers to ‘bin the blade’.

In 2018, Mr Webb also raised almost £1,000 in donations and cash to buy kit, including metal detectors and torches, to help his local police teams in weapon sweeps.

He said: “I got the OK to get a knife bin for the area but then nothing happened. I was assured at the time that it would be in place soon and that was four years ago, so that clearly turned out to be a non-starter.

“I have a site for the bin that’s been approved by the local church – right on the gang border between Camberwell and Peckham – and lots of community support.

“There’s a lot of bold talk about providing solutions to knife crime in South London, but it’s just talk.

“To date, I have taken hundreds of knives off the streets with my campaign by going door to door and posting up outside the library, on the Green and at Community events – all with no funding and no support.

“Anyone from the community who offers support, help and solutions is at best ignored.”