Blunt and to the point (From The Northern Echo)

Blunt and to the point

11:41am Wednesday 1st September 2010 in

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Following the death of her brother, Ben, former EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella is leading the campaign to stop knife crime. On a visit to the North-East she tells Dani Webb about her hopes for the future.

ALITTLE over two years ago, actress Brooke Kinsella never would have imagined she would be visiting youngsters to talk about knife crime.

But the actions of a group of youths on June 29, 2008, changed her life for ever.

“I am not a man in a suit, but someone who has unfortunately had experience of this issue,” says the former EastEnders star. “I wish I didn’t have this experience but, as I do, I should use it to look at what is going on and try to make things better.”

Kinsella’s 16-year-old brother, Ben, became the 17th innocent victim of knife crime in London that fateful June day when he was stabbed to death by a group of youths.

The popular teenager had been celebrating finishing his GCSEs when he became the innocent victim of a petty argument which did not involve him, but escalated into a drugfuelled chase down a street. He was stabbed 11 times, including once in the heart, before staggering back up the street and collapsing into the arms of his friends.

His murder led to a series of anti-knife crime demonstrations, a raised profile for the Government’s anti-knife crime maxim Operation Blunt 2 and a review and change of UK knife crime sentencing laws.

The incident also saw his sister vow to help stop knife crime blighting our streets.

“It is still very hard for me, but something needs to be done,” says Kinsella, speaking at the Corner House Youth Project, in Stockton, yesterday.

“But it is clear these projects are working.

Part of this is selfish because I don’t want Ben’s name to be forgotten but on the other hand, I want to help stop knife crime.

“It is very emotional for me, but it gives me strength to see how much good work is going on.”

There are no tears as she talks about Ben, but it is clear that never a moment goes by without her thinking about him. She knows she can’t change the past, so now it is about preventing the same thing happening again.

Ben was seen as a talented teenager with a bright future. After being threatened with a knife while working part-time in a cafe when he stopped a mountain bike being stolen, he wrote to the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown as part of his GCSE English course work suggesting possible solutions to solving knife crime.

This letter was forwarded to Downing Street following his death.

He also wrote a creative writing piece where he imagined his own death from stabbing.

Jade Braithwaite, 20, Juress Kika, 19, and Michael Alleyne, 18, will serve at least 19 years each for Ben’s murder – this is little more than he was alive.

“Nothing is going to make what happened to Ben any easier,” says Brooke. “But if I can help prevent knife crime, then it would be something.

I never imagined I would be doing this, but I have been very lucky.

“No one is telling me that I have to tick boxes and that I must do this and that. I am looking at each project on an individual basis and deciding for myself what works.

“It has been brilliant. I am astounded what is happening [around the country]. I only need to look here in Stockton to see good work going on in the community.

“There is not a lot of funding available, so it gives me a lot of faith.”

Some areas have more difficulties than others, she says. “I want to find out the reason why people carry knives. I want to get as much information as possible. This is hopefully the first step towards better things.”

Inspired by her determination and passion to make a difference, Prime Minister David Cameron asked Kinsella to become the Government’s “knife tsar” when the Conservatives came into office in May.

With all her anti-knife campaigning, the actress still rates her stage and screen career as an important role in her life. “I need something for myself, so it is important for me to have my acting,” she says.

“I have just finished a three-month tour in a play. It helps me if I keep myself busy, as it is still very difficult.”