'Every day the girls are in my thoughts': Southport attack survivor launches blunt knife campaign
Leanne Lucas' campaign 'Let's Be Blunt' aimed to promote blunt tips on knives in the hope of reducing crimes that involve kitchen knives.
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Leader Live
21-05-2025
- Leader Live
Southport attack survivor campaigning for round-ended kitchen knives
Leanne Lucas launched Let's Be Blunt to coincide with a national knife crime awareness week, during which the Government has also announced a new knife amnesty taking place in July. Ms Lucas said: 'The horrific events in Southport on July 29 2024 changed my life forever. The pain and heartbreak that the families involved have had to endure is unimaginable. 'If I can help to ensure this doesn't happen to another family again, I will. When people ask if there is anything they can do to help me, my answer is clear and comes from the heart: swap your pointed kitchen knives for rounded ones. 'Pointed knives, readily available in most kitchens, pose a very real risk of being tragically used as weapons on our streets. A simple yet effective change, replacing our kitchen knives with rounded ones, can remove this potential for danger. 'If we all make a small change in our homes, together we can play a powerful role in preventing future tragedies before they unfold.' Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain programme on Wednesday, Ms Lucas said: 'I don't understand why I've got a pointed tip knife in my house that somebody could potentially use as a weapon if they would like to. 'I know people say it wouldn't happen to me, my child wouldn't do that. 'We all believed it wouldn't happen to us, but I think we've just got to open our eyes to the real world.' Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were murdered and eight other children and two adults were injured in the attack in Southport in July last year, carried out with a knife bought on Amazon while the killer was underage. The Let's Be Blunt campaign is set to be launched at a parliamentary reception on Wednesday evening. Actor Idris Elba has also called for a move away from pointed kitchen knives, and initial research by forensic scientist Leisa Nichols-Drew with a team at De Montfort University suggests that they may be safer. The researchers found that 10 different rounded knives did not cut everyday clothing such as cotton t-shirts and denim jeans in tests with 1,200 repeated stabbing motions, whereas two pointed blades did. News of the campaign came as the Home Office unveiled plans for knife crime activist Faron Paul to travel across the country in an amnesty van. The campaigner will tour London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester in July to help get rid of dangerous blades. The Home Office is also funding 37 new surrender bins, made by charity Word 4 Weapons, across the same locations where 45% of knife crime in England and Wales takes place. It comes as a ban on ninja swords campaigned for by the family of murdered teenager Ronan Kanda is set to come into force from August 1. It will be illegal to possess, sell, make or import the weapon as part of anti-knife crime measures introduced under Ronan's Law. Ronan's mother Pooja Kanda has campaigned for a law change since the death of her 16-year-old son, who was yards away from his Wolverhampton home when he was murdered with a ninja sword in 2022. Anyone handing in a ninja sword can claim compensation of £5 – the wholesale price of the weapon – if they return it to a designated police station. The new surrender bins have been purpose-built to cater for larger weapons such as ninja swords, and 33 will be placed across London, two in the West Midlands and two in Greater Manchester. Mr Paul's van is also specifically built for the task and will be supported by police officers on the move. The anti-knife crime campaigner and chief executive of FazAmnesty uses social media to raise awareness of the consequences of carrying knives after surviving two life-threatening attacks himself. Mr Paul said: 'The launch of the UK's first-ever amnesty van is a historic moment – not just for FazAmnesty, but for communities across the country. 'In partnership with the Home Office, this van allows us to take our mission directly to the people, giving them a safe, secure, and discreet way to hand in offensive weapons. 'It's more than just a vehicle – it's a symbol of hope, change, and second chances. 'This is about saving lives, protecting our communities, and breaking the cycle of violence.' It will be illegal to have a ninja sword after August 1, and anyone caught with one could face six months in prison, set to increase to two years under plans in the Crime and Policing Bill. Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said: 'This Government is taking a different approach to tackling knife crime – one rooted in partnership with those who have first-hand experience of this devastating crime. 'We know that young people involved in crime can have complex pasts and often deep-rooted mistrust in authority, and I truly believe it's this kind of collaboration that will save young lives.'
ITV News
21-05-2025
- ITV News
Southport attack survivor Leanne Lucas calls for 'blunt' knives to prevent more tragedies
ITV News' Jonathan Brown speaks to Leanne Lucas about her Let's Be Blunt campaign Words by Jonathan Brown, North of England reporter, and Eleanor Gregory, North of England producer. A woman who was stabbed five times while trying to save 25 young girls from a knife-wielding teenager in Southport says she fears another tragedy will happen if more is not done to tackle knife crime. Leanne Lucas, a yoga instructor whose Taylor Swift-themed dance class was targeted last July, has launched a new campaign called Let's Be Blunt that she hopes will save lives. The Southport attacker was armed with a kitchen knife he'd bought online. The attack claimed the lives of three girls, while Leanne, local businessman John Hayes, and eight children were treated in hospital for serious injuries. He was later jailed for a minimum of 52 years for the three murders, as well as the attempted murders of Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes, and eight other children who survived their injuries. Today, the 36-year-old's new initiative is calling for the widespread adoption of rounded-tip kitchen knives to reduce knife-related violence. She told ITV News that we need to "change the perception" of knives after she was critically injured herself. 'In my eyes I don't see change happening fast enough,' she said. 'Are we waiting for the next incident to appear on the TV? I'm not prepared to do that.' Let's Be Blunt campaign calls on households, retailers, manufacturers, and policymakers to switch from pointed kitchen knives to safer, rounded-tip alternatives. Leanne said: 'The kitchen utensil has the potential to become a weapon - I'm asking people to take an inventory of their kitchen... so that your kitchen becomes a safer place. It reduces the risk, reduces the impulsivity, and hopefully goes towards preventing knife crime in the future occurring.' Six-year-old Bebe King, Seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar were killed during the stabbing. Leanne told ITV News that she has launched her campaign not only for the three girls, but "for everyone" telling us "it's for them, the injured, and their families supporting them". She added: 'Every day the girls are in my thoughts, if we can do something to help this not happen to other children, that's what we're going to do.' Her life has changed since the incident, telling ITV News that she "had no purpose" and "didn't know what to do" but has now found a passion to give her and other people hope. The latest ONS homicide statistics showed there were 262 murders involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales in the year to March 2024, with 17 of the victims being children under the age of 16. Kitchen knives were used in 44% of those incidents. Taking her campaign to parliament, Leanne will give a speech at a special reception in the presence of Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. The event is part of Knife Crime Awareness Week and has been organised by the Ben Kinsella Trust, a charity set up in memory of 16-year-old Ben Kinsella, who was stabbed to death in London in 2008. Crime and Policing Minister, Dame Diana Johnson, has said that "nothing is off the table when it comes to getting lethal blades off our streets and keeping people safe" and that the government is exploring options to make changes by meeting with retailers and manufacturers. For more information on the Let's Be Blunt campaign visit
STV News
21-05-2025
- STV News
Southport attack survivor calls for 'blunt' knives to prevent more tragedies
ITV News' Jonathan Brown speaks to Leanne Lucas about her Let's Be Blunt campaign Words by Jonathan Brown, North of England reporter, and Eleanor Gregory, North of England producer. A woman who was stabbed five times while trying to save 25 young girls from a knife-wielding teenager in Southport says she fears another tragedy will happen if more is not done to tackle knife crime. Leanne Lucas, a yoga instructor whose Taylor Swift-themed dance class was targeted last July, has launched a new campaign called Let's Be Blunt that she hopes will save lives. The Southport attacker was armed with a kitchen knife he'd bought online. The attack claimed the lives of three girls, while Leanne, local businessman John Hayes, and eight children were treated in hospital for serious injuries. He was later jailed for a minimum of 52 years for the three murders, as well as the attempted murders of Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes, and eight other children who survived their injuries. Today, the 36-year-old's new initiative is calling for the widespread adoption of rounded-tip kitchen knives to reduce knife-related violence. Blunt knives / Credit: She told ITV News that we need to 'change the perception' of knives after she was critically injured herself. 'In my eyes I don't see change happening fast enough,' she said. 'Are we waiting for the next incident to appear on the TV? I'm not prepared to do that.' Let's Be Blunt campaign calls on households, retailers, manufacturers, and policymakers to switch from pointed kitchen knives to safer, rounded-tip alternatives. Leanne said: 'The kitchen utensil has the potential to become a weapon – I'm asking people to take an inventory of their kitchen… so that your kitchen becomes a safer place. It reduces the risk, reduces the impulsivity, and hopefully goes towards preventing knife crime in the future occurring.' Victims of the Southport attack, (left to right) Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Aguiar / Credit: Six-year-old Bebe King, Seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar were killed during the stabbing. Leanne told ITV News that she has launched her campaign not only for the three girls, but 'for everyone' telling us 'it's for them, the injured, and their families supporting them'. She added: 'Every day the girls are in my thoughts, if we can do something to help this not happen to other children, that's what we're going to do.' Her life has changed since the incident, telling ITV News that she 'had no purpose' and 'didn't know what to do' but has now found a passion to give her and other people hope. The latest ONS homicide statistics showed there were 262 murders involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales in the year to March 2024, with 17 of the victims being children under the age of 16. Kitchen knives were used in 44% of those incidents. Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning. Taking her campaign to parliament, Leanne will give a speech at a special reception in the presence of Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. The event is part of Knife Crime Awareness Week and has been organised by the Ben Kinsella Trust, a charity set up in memory of 16-year-old Ben Kinsella, who was stabbed to death in London in 2008. Crime and Policing Minister, Dame Diana Johnson, has said that 'nothing is off the table when it comes to getting lethal blades off our streets and keeping people safe' and that the government is exploring options to make changes by meeting with retailers and manufacturers. For more information on the Let's Be Blunt campaign visit Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
