Inside battle to stop knife crime as mp makes 'angry young men' pledge

A leading MP said she is 'committed' to slashing the rates of youth violence in Coventry and the West Midlands. Diana Johnson said they are working to steer 'angry young

men' away from knife crime when she visited the city yesterday (May 21). Ms Johnson, Minister for Policing and Crime Prevention, visited Broadgate and Upper Precinct. She was joined by

anti-knife crime campaigner Faron Paul, who runs FazAmnesty, a charity that takes unwanted knives, guns, and swords off young people with no questions asked. Coventry and the West Midlands

has one of the highest rates of knife crime in the UK. Hundreds of young people have been killed or seriously injured, including 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was stabbed by two teenage boys

as he walked back to his Wolverhampton home after visiting a friend. READ MORE: SISTER OF TRAGIC COVENTRY BIKER REECE BIRD SAYS HE WAS 'ONE OF A KIND' Asked whether there was a

culture of 'angry young men' in the UK, Ms Johnson said: “A lot of the work with young people, the youth clubs, the prevention work to divert young people away from getting

themselves into trouble, a lot of that went in the last 14 years during those years of austerity. We have come in and have said very clearly that working with those young men during those

teenage years and beyond into their 20s is really important.” She continued: “We need to instil in those young people resilience and life skills, so that is why we have this youth programme

that we want to invest in to make sure that those angry young men have opportunities and are diverted away from getting involved in knife crime.” Soon, there will be knife surrender bins

popping up across the West Midlands. Youths will be encouraged to give up weapons in a bid to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured. 'Ninja' swords will be banned

from August 1, and those found carrying them will face up to two years in jail. Ms Johnson said they have teamed up with Faron Paul, who will be encouraging people to hand over the weapons

safely throughout July. Faron will drive across London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester in a purpose-built and fully secure van in which people can surrender weapons without being

punished. He said teaming up with the Home Office for the initiative was a 'major step forward.' Faron, who survived being stabbed 18 times in two separate knife attacks, said: “We

have worked tirelessly to remove knives and other weapons from our streets, and this van is a major step forward in that mission. It is more than just a vehicle, it is a symbol of hope,

change, and second chances.” He continued: “It is about saving lives, protecting our communities, and breaking the cycle of violence. I am incredibly proud of how far we have come, and this

is only the beginning.” Ms Johnson added: “We know that young people involved in crime can have complex pasts and often deep-rooted mistrust in authority, and I truly believe it is this kind

of collaboration that will save young lives.” SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER HERE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT COVENTRY.