Mum of murder victim launches campaign against knife crime

Six weeks after a Clacton teenager was stabbed to death at a house party, his mother has launched a new campaign against knife crime.

Jay Whiston was killed at the party in Colchester, and now his mother Caroline Shearer has launched a campaign to educate school children from the age of 12 against carrying weapons

It comes on the day David Cameron announced the most serious offenders should face longer prison sentences.

Jay's mum Caroline wants tougher action too, but through education. She wants weapon awareness to be part of the national curriculum in the same way as sex education.

She said:

Jay's friend Austen Webber said "I think that the age we're trying to target as a campaign is an influential age and that if we can get it into them now then it gets them ready for the future and hopefully we can see a change."

"We need to push forward the idea that people who do carry knives are cowards because they are. There's no reason that Jay to be dead, he shouldn't be dead."

The campaign is being backed by Colchester United and local MP Douglas Carswell.