HUNDREDS of children are planning a peace march and rally in the North-East in a protest against knife crime.

Youngsters plan to stage the demonstration in September, following their return to school after the summer holidays.

The march is planned for Redcar, where 17-year-old Chris Cave was stabbed to death in 2003.

His mother, Theresa Cave, now devotes herself to campaigning against knives, which takes her into local schools.

The 43-year-old was so impressed by the reception she received and children’s revulsion at the use of knives, she suggested a peace march.

Last week, Mrs Cave was invited to talk to pupils at Gillbrook School, South Bank, near Middlesbrough, about knife crime.

Youngsters spoke of their disgust at knife crime and the spate of deaths nationwide.

She has now been asked to make a presentation to staff at the school, while the Government group Connexions, which works with teenagers, has asked Mrs Cave to talk to youth groups.

Senior police officers are expected to address a rally at the end of September’s march.

Mrs Cave is hoping schools and youth clubs across the region will join the demonstration, which will be joined by the Manchester branch of Mothers Against Violence, who will have T-shirts printed for the marchers.

She said youngsters want people to know they are not “a generation gone bad”.

“They don’t want grownups to think they are the up and coming thugs of tomorrow, despite being all tarred with the same brush,’’ said Mrs Cave. “It’s about taking knives out of fashion. The youngsters I have been talking to this week are saying, ‘we will kick this knife crime out of fashion – we don’t want it on the streets’. They all want it to stop.

“I believe they will do it. It will be the kids who stop this, not the Government. No laws will change this, but the kids themselves will rebel against it.”

Mrs Cave added: “It does not matter if you are in a gang or not – if you see someone with a knife just look down your nose, turn your back and walk away. It just takes one person to turn their back and walk away – and the rest will follow.

“When that happens, those who like to flash knives will be too embarrassed to produce them.’’ Her best friend, Pat Regan, founder of the Leeds branch of Mothers Against Violence, was stabbed to death last month – five years to the week since Chris Cave was murdered.