'I wanted to protect myself' Swansea teenager admits carrying knife at 10 years old
"I wanted to protect myself"
A teenager from Swansea has told ITV News he felt he needed to carry a knife for protection when he was just ten years old.
After being threatened by an older group of boys, he said he decided to carry a knife in case they tried to hurt him.
The teenager said he knew carrying the knife was wrong and illegal - but felt he was too scared to reach out for support or tell the police.
It was only when he accidentally cut his friend with the knife that he realised how dangerous it was and stopped carrying it.
Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed there were 40,829 recorded offences in England and Wales involving knives or sharp instruments - up by 6% on the year before.
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The teenager said a school workshop called Beats not Blades helped him realise that finding a hobby is better than carrying a knife.
Projects like Beats not Blades are trying to educate more young people on knife crime.
The workshop encourages pupils to write lyrics and songs that help educate others about the dangers of carrying a knife.