Mothers show their support for city’s knife amnesty

By Mel Hawes

Two mothers who lost their sons to knife crime have shown their support for the launch of Leicestershire Police’s #LivesNotKnives campaign.

The campaign sees bins placed in six police stations across the city for four weeks in order to reduce the amount of young people who are carrying knives.

Amy Morgan, the mother of Tyler Tompson who died last November after being stabbed, said: “It’s just so hard as there was no illness, no warning, just a phone call telling me that my child had been stabbed and was not breathing.

Bins can be found in six stations across the city

“Knife crime ruins lives. Please think about your actions. This needs to stop.”

The amnesty is part of a nationwide campaign to reduce the amount of knives being carried and to educate young people about the dangers of knife crime.

The knife bins can be found at Mansfield House, Beaumont Leys, Braunstone, Spinney Hill, Keyham Lane and Hinkley Road police stations.

Cheryl Armatrading, the mother of 20-year-old Antoin Akpom who was stabbed to death in September 2013, said: “My message to those who carry knives is this: think of the ripple effect of your action and listen to a mother’s cry”.

The bins will be in place for four weeks. Those who wish to hand in knives should ensure that they are covered and placed in a bag or container before handing them into a police station.