A grieving mother has told youngsters who might be protecting her son’s killer not to worry about being labelled ‘a grass’ by helping police with the murder investigation.

Dionne Barrett said young people might know who fatally slashed 14-year-old Gordon Gault but are too afraid to speak to detectives.

But she said it was their duty to bring the person responsible to justice before someone else is seriously hurt or even killed.

It comes as new figures show the largest volume increase in fatal stabbings is for teenage boys aged 16 to 17.

The Northern Echo: Gordon Gault died after the attack in Newcastle in November Gordon Gault died after the attack in Newcastle in November (Image: Contributor)

Read more: Open letter to Prime Minister for action on knife crime

Gordon was seriously injured near a park in Elswick, Newcastle, in November and died in hospital six days later.

Dionne, who lives in Benwell, said: “We are talking about kids here. Some of them will be frightened.

“They have seen someone who has lost their life, murdered in front of their own eyes.

“A lot of them are scared because it could they think it could happen to them if they open their mouths.

“They are scared of being a grass. You are not a grass. You just have to do this.

“It could be your best friend or family who is murdered.

“This has happened outside of a park where there is a swimming baths. It could be another child next.”

The Northern Echo: Gordon died after spending six days in hospital on life supportGordon died after spending six days in hospital on life support (Image: Contributor)

Read more: The Northern Echo calls on the Prime Minister for urgent action on knife crime

Northumbria Police has confirmed recent arrests mean the total number of people held over Gordon's death is now 20.

They include 18 teenagers, aged 15 to 18, and two men in their 20s.

They have all been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

The Northern Echo: Dionne BarrettDionne Barrett (Image: ITV)

Dionne said: “I am not going to rest until I get Gordon’s killer off these streets.  

“Whoever has done it has not been bothered about doing it in front of kids.

“It is so scary. I do not want this happening to anyone else.”

Figures released this week reveal the number of people killed with a knife in England and Wales in 2021/22 was the highest on record for 76 years.

Around four in ten homicides were committed using a knife or sharp instrument in the year to March 2022 (282).

This is a 19 per cent rise compared with the previous year and the highest annual total since records began in 1946, according to analysis from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The 2021/22 total number of homicides – murder, manslaughter and infanticide – is similar to a previous high of 281 in the 12 months to March 2018, a report published on Thursday said.

The ONS said the recent increase was driven by an 18 per cent rise in the number of male victims, from 184 to 218.

The largest volume increase was for teenage boys aged 16 to 17, rising from ten homicides to 24.

The latest analysis shows 177 victims of homicide by knife or sharp instrument were white, 63 per cent, an increase of 36 compared with the previous year.

There were 59 black victims, 21 per cent, compared with 57 in the previous period.

As well as pushing for Justice for Gordon, Dionne is campaigning to raise awareness of knife crime and said Newcastle United supporters’ groups have agreed to a hold a 14th minute clap in the Carabao Cup final in Gordon’s honour.

The schoolboy’s image will be shown on banners and flags around Wembley Stadium in London on February 26.

She said: “You can’t get a bigger audience to be honest. Hopefully it is going to jog someone’s memory and will have a big impact on how people see knife crime.

“We don’t want it to be a sad day. We don’t want to drag the spirit of Wembley down by this photo. We want to try and lift the spirits more and at the same time publicise knife crime in the hope that someone does know something and someone does come forward.”The Northern Echo: Our front page was sent to the Prime Minister's office Our front page was sent to the Prime Minister's office (Image: Northern Echo)

Dionne, who is backing the Northern Echo’s campaign to secure more funding for education and intervention initiatives to steer young people away from knifer crime, said she hopes rival Manchester United fans will also join in the clap in memory of her son.

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Dionne said: “We want everyone to clap.

“We don’t want it to just be the Newcastle fans. We want the full stadium clapping and we want 80,000 to have great time watching this Wembley match while raising awareness of knife crime at the same time.

“Gordon would be buzzing at this. He would love it. He always wanted to be ‘massive’.

“It is a shame it has come from this but I will make his name massive because I am not giving up on it.”