Victim’s mother praises knife amnesty youths (From The Northern Echo)

Victim’s mother praises knife amnesty youths

8:11am Friday 5th September 2008

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A TIRELESS campaigner whose teenage son was stabbed to death has praised two young people for lobbying police to launch a knife amnesty.

Theresa Cave’s son, Chris, was murdered by a member of a violent local gang five years ago.

Since his death, she has worked with politicians, police and local councils in an effort to clean up the streets and has been shortlisted for a Pride of Britain award.

Yesterday, Mrs Cave, from Redcar, east Cleveland, was at Stockton police station to give the fiveweek amnesty her full backing.

It is the idea of Anthony Simms, 23, and Michael Hollifield, 18, of the Stockton Youth Independent Advisory Group.

Mr Hollifield, who is chairman of Stockton Youth Assembly, one of a number of organisations that contribute members to the advisory group, said: “We want to show that we are just as concerned about knife crime as anyone else. We want knives taken off the streets and it is young people who can make that happen.”

Mr Simms, chairman of Shaft, which works with young homeless people in Stockton, said the amnesty was about giving young people a voice and making a stand.

He said: “Knife crime might not be as much of a problem here as in London, but it’s still a problem.”

Mrs Cave, who has a seven-yearold son, Thomas, said she was ecstatic that they had approached the police.

“I was blown away that two young people have made this happen,”

she said. “For the past threeand- a-half years we have been trying to get the kids to be the first ones to drop the knives but no one has before as they have been frightened of reprisals.”

“When I looked at these two young men, I was so proud. They have accomplished something amazing.”

“I haven’t felt so uplifted since before Chris died. It is the first step to making a real difference to saving peoples lives.”

Mrs Cave has organised a Mothers Against Violence march on Sunday, September 14, in Redcar, when she is expecting to be walking side by side with busloads of activists from Leeds, Manchester and the North-East.

Knives can be handed in to any police station in the Cleveland Police area over the next five weeks, until Sunday, October 12.

Sean Price, Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, said a 3ft Samurai sword had been handed in during the fiirst few hours of the amnesty.

*Pictured with Theresa Cave, centre, are from left, Acting Chief Inspector Andy Fox, Anthony Simms and Michael Hollifield, of Stockton Youth Independent Advisory Group, holding a 3ft Samurai sword handed in during the first few hours of the amnesty and Chief Constable Sean Price

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