Connor Brown's parents: 'Our lives have been turned upside down and we can't even begin to try and make sense of it'

It’s every parent’s nightmare. Being told that your child has been murdered.

On February 24th 2019, Connor Brown was stabbed five times outside a pub in Sunderland.

He was pronounced dead in hospital an hour later.

The 18-year-old was trying to break-up a fight that had started between young lads in an alleyway, when he was fatally stabbed in the chest.

From that point, life as his family knew it, would never be the same again.

• Watch Katie Cole's exclusive interview with parents Tanya and Simon Brown, here:

Connor worked as a GP receptionist and was a keen sportsman.

He had been on a night out with his friends when his family received the life-changing phone call.

In their first TV interview, Connor's parents told ITV Tyne Tees that the news shattered not only their world but also their daughter Ellen's.

She was only 14 when her brother was killed.

Tanya, Simon and Ellen recently visited the Knife Angel in Gateshead.

The striking sculpture is made up of knives seized by police.

It aims to raise awareness of knife crime.

Connor's parents, Simon and Tanya Brown say they were inundated with messages of sympathy and condolences.

They thanked the community for their support during what was the toughest time of their lives.

The family received 400 cards after the premature death of their son.

Many of the letters and cards were sent from kind strangers, that the family had never met

20-year-old- Leighton Barrass was jailed for life for murdering Connor and ordered to serve a minimum term of 20 years.

Ally Gordon, also 20 was jailed for three years and six months after being found guilty of manslaughter.

Simon and Tanya are now in the process of setting up the Connor Brown Trust, aimed at stopping young people turning to crime.