A TASKFORCE has been set up in collaboration with the family of Danny Fox to educate young people about the dangers of knives.

The aim is to ensure that children aged 10 and above know the consequences of carrying a knife and to address the reasons they have for wanting to carry a weapon.

This will include visits to schools and youth groups by St Helens Young Advisors who have collaborated with the Fox family’s No More Knives campaign to develop a combined approach – rebranding their joint efforts as Cut It Out #No More Knives.

Danny died in September 2016 after being stabbed in St Helens town centre.

The campaign will include talks from doctors who have had to fight to save the lives of stabbing victims and stories from victims’ families and police.

They will be carried out in a way to also offer support and as well as awareness.

The task group has also sought assistance and advice from the anti-knife crime charity Ben Kinsella Trust about how to speak with young people.

In a Safer Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel, held on Tuesday, January 16, Louise Harrison, chief superintendent of the police in St Helens, said: “While St Helens has seen an increase in knife crimes, which is similar to across Merseyside, we have also seen some unfortunate cases in the town centre in the past 12-months which has led to the death of a number of young people.

“We know that it is a problem and realise there’s a knife crime problem nationally and though St Helens is in a healthier position in relation to other areas, we do know that this is an issue and something to monitor.

“We have been working with the Operation Sceptre campaign which puts us in a position where we’ve been on the upper foot on working with partners in tackling this issue.

“We are using the prevention approach to educating young people in the area as we have reports that issues arise in that age group from as young as 12-years of age.”

St Helens Star:

Danny Fox

Police also brought in pictures of several weapons seized from youths – either at homes or from land searches.

The issue arising from stop and searches in the community was also discussed in the meeting.

Police are limited on the occasions they are able to do this due to fear of creating “lack of trust in police” or seeming to “target specific people”.

A police spokesman added: “People can feel quite vulnerable if questioned by police, that is why doing knife wands and searches in bars and clubs is important as a way of control without targeting specific people or groups.

“With drug seizures the smell or dealing of drugs can be reasonable enough for police to request a stop and search, whereas knives, as we know, are often a concealed weapon.”