King Charles speaks out on devastating issue that's 'terrifying' families
King Charles has spoken out about the impact of 'terrifying' violent knife crime as he hosted a special summit on the 'devastating' issue. The monarch teamed up with actor Idris Elba to meet young people and charities at St James's Palace today to discuss finding positive opportunities for young people affected by knife crime.
And the King, 76, told one campaigner, Kyle Shaw Tullin, he was' riveted' by his story after he told how he almost died when he was stabbed aged 17, spending two weeks in hospital. But by joining a local boxing gym, he turned his life around because he was "too tired" from working out to go and get into trouble and is now in the Royal Marines and a Team GB boxer.
After making notes while listening to stories from young people and charities, Charles, who was also joined by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, gave an off-the-cuff speech saying: "I was riveted to hear what Kyle was saying about his experiences.
"Because it does seem to me, what you were saying, about being too exhausted to get into trouble, is quite a good point you're a teenager. And otherwise, you cost so much energy, which could go the wrong way if it's not helped to go in a positively constructive direction. So that was a good point.
"There was a wonderful old Irishman I knew years ago who said that two sheep's heads are always better than one. And it's true if you bring more people together who are involved in the same sort of field, then there is a great deal more you can achieve.
"So I'm enormously grateful to you all. I look forward very much to seeing the actual progress on the ground, which will make a huge difference to so many parents' lives, otherwise they're devastated by the terrifying result of violent knife crime."
Speaking to the panel, Elba also spoke of how "we can't take the foot off the pedal" when it comes to tackling knife crime while the Prime Minister spoke about new laws being enacted including Ronan's Law which bans Ninja Swords.
After the event, Starmer told the Mirror that as a parent, the issue of knife crime is something he feels "very personally". He explained: "Some of the most heartbreaking moments in this job have been meeting parents whose children were victims of knife crime. I think of Zoey McGill who showed me a video of her singing to her son as he lay dying in his hospital bed. I think of the times I've met Pooja Kanda whose son Ronan was killed by a ninja sword.
"Their courage – and the courage of so many grieving parents like them - is extraordinary. From such devastation, they have found a remarkable strength to fight for change. They are determined to stop other parents from going through what they have endured.
"It's something I feel very personally. Not just as a parent, trying to comprehend what they've been through, but because tackling crime and securing justice has been my life's work. That's why, as Prime Minister, I set the goal to halve knife crime in a decade as part of this government's Plan for Change.
"In the last year, we have already taken some important steps. I promised Pooja that we would ban the ninja swords that killed her son. And we've kept that promise: 'Ronan's Law' will become the law of the land. Throughout this month, we're running a knife surrender scheme, with mobile vans collecting these knives off our streets. And from next month, it will be illegal to sell or own these vicious blades."
It comes as the King and Elba, 52, are teaming up for a Netflix documentary to mark the 50th anniversary of The King's Trust. Charles launched charity, then known as The Prince's Trust, in 1976 to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. A six-strong Netflix crew was in the palace to film sections of the event for their documentary that is set to be aired next year.
Before the round table at St James' Palace, the King also met charity workers and King's Trust supporters and alumni. Trust ambassador Michael Gilroy, 27, of CEO Evol Promotions for Muay Thai events, found help from the then Prince's Trust three years ago, and scored a £5,000 grant.
He described learning more about running a business on a three-day course run by the Trust than the whole previous year. The King said: "So it doesn't make a difference? Wonderful. It makes me very proud."
Speaking afterwards Michael said: "He really is proud of us and he is committed to bettering young people's lives around the UK. "The Trust has changed my life and when someone like the King tells you is proud of you it doesn't get much better than that."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Drug dealer jailed after police track him down due to famous dad
The son of the famous lead singer was involved in multi-million pound drug deals and sentenced to ten years and eight months for the supply of cocaine, ketamine, cannabis and heroin. A 30-year-old drug dealer has been jailed for 10 years after police tracked him down due to his famous dad. A team of specialist cops identified him from messages about his 90s singer father. An associate within their drug network even sent him a picture of his famous dad and made comments which confirmed their relationship. Thomas Hooton, the son of The Farm lead singer Peter Hooton, has been jailed and sentenced to ten years and eight months for the supply of cocaine, ketamine, cannabis and heroin. The 30-year-old drug dealer, who had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply drugs, was using the name "Ownraptor" and quickly became a trusted broker of multi-million pound drug deals, reports the Mirror. Thomas also wrote in messages that he was driving a black Audi A3 and his "arl fella", meaning his dad, had arranged the insurance. Thomas was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday. On the back of his arrest by Merseyside's Organised Crime Partnership in April this year, Thomas made the decision to plead guilty. He had been using the messaging service EncroChat to broker his drug deals which reportedly had the street value of an estimated £ 1.3million. Police were also able to detect that he had been using more than 40 names for contact and had also set up a county lines supply that covered Scotland, north-east and the south of England. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency said: "At the very minimum, Hooton was involved in the supply of 42.5kg of cannabis, 3.25kg of heroin, 10 kg of cocaine and 1kg of ketamine." They added: "His messages said he was in possession of around £400,000 and owed £258,000." The offences which led to his arrest were reportedly between March 26 and June 4 five years ago. Detective Chief Inspector Lynsay Armbruster said: "It's clear Hooton was involved in organised crime for a long time before he was charged. His criminal and geographical reach will have taken considerable time to establish. His drug supply operations were on an almost daily basis, they were sustained and spanned the UK working with high level criminals." EncroChat was deactivated in 2020 by a European investigation team. The Mirror has reached out to Peter Hooton for a comment.
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Corrie star Alan Halsall looks in love as he attends Jack P Shepherd's wedding with new girlfriend
Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall looks the picture of happiness as he walks hand in hand to Jack P Shepherd's wedding with new love Ellie Dolan Coronation Street star Alan Halsall looked like the cat that's got the cream as he proudly walked into Jack P Shepherds wedding ceremony hand in hand with his new girlfriend. The 42 year old father of one, looked dapper in a light grey suit which he teamed with a pale blue shirt and a yellow tie. Meanwhile, his new girlfriend Ellie Dolan opted for a sunshine yellow floor length summer dress which she teamed with a pair of gold heels and matching bracelet. The couple have been reportedly dating since May this year. And by attending the Celebrity Big Brother winner's wedding, it looks as though their budding romance appears to be going from strength to strength. At the time, a source explained to the Mirror: "Alan is really happy. Ellie is a great girl and they have lots of common. And she gets on so well with Sienna, which is so important to Alan. Sienna is his world." Alan and Ellie reportedly met at the Marriott Worsley Park Club, where Ellie works and Alan holds a membership. Alan is a fan favourite since he joined the ITV soap playing Tyrone Dobbs in 1998. And he has had a number of high profile relationships with his fellow co-stars prior to meeting Ellie. The actor has a daughter with Lucy-Jo Hudson who starred in the soap as Katy Harris. The pair tied the knot in 2009 but sadly split in 2018. The following year he started dating another co-star, this time it was Tisha Merry. The couple dating for five years before calling time on their relationship last year. Alan recently revealed that alongside being a father and an actor on a demanding soap, he also made the decision to undergo a body transformation. The star took on the challenge alongside his co-star Colson Smith, who has shed 10 st. And this included attending the gym three times a week, a strict diet and 2.5k on the treadmill, time on the rowing machine and cross trainer. In 2019, he told The Sun: "I've transformed a little bit myself and people have seen that. I like to come [to the gym). I have a pre-workout meal, I work out, then I have a post-workout meal or a swim and a steam." He has also combined his gym sessions with yoga that takes place in a heated room, also known as Bikram yoga. This is designed to expel toxins in the body through sweat.
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
The K's Jamie Boyle issues urgent warning over music venues closing
The closure of grassroots music venues is threatening to derail the British music industry, warns The K's frontman Jamie Boyle ahead of a landmark performance at Hillsborough Stadium Indie band The K's admit it's harder for unsigned bands as grassroots venues face further closures. The band from Earlestown, located between Manchester and Liverpool are today playing The Sarah Nulty main stage at Tramlines Festival in Sheffield, enjoying the recent release of their second album, Pretty On The Internet. 'We're well excited,' said frontman Jamie Boyle. Speaking to the Mirror from Hillsborough Stadium, he went on to add: 'As soon as we finished our first album, our minds were set on the second.' Last year, their debut album reached Number Three, being beaten by Beyoncé and The Libertines. But should their album get to number one, what would it mean for the band? 'It means everything to us. We'd love it. We said yesterday when we did our album release show, there's still one box I haven't ticked for my first album campaign, as amazing as it was but to finally tick that box and get that Number One accolade to our name. 'But regardless, as long as we keep doing what we're doing for a living, making music we love, that's all that matters but a Number One, would be that cherry on the top.' Prior to the record being released, four tracks racked up an impressive four million streams, something the band struggled to get their heads around. 'I think when you see it on paper, you don't even think about it until you have to,' said guitarist Ryan Breslin. He added: 'It's unfathomable the number itself, you see it on paper and then you sit down and think how many people know these songs, it's crazy. I don't think you can actually visualise that community, so all that put into context, it's class. 'As long as people keep listening, as long as everything keeps going down so well, we'll keep doing what we're doing, hopefully it stays that way for a while.' However, they admit that during the creation of the record, they learned to mainly focus on nothing but the album process. 'Don't let anything cloud our vision,' they added. But having worked their way up the industry for the past decade, bassist Dexter commented: 'It's been a lot of hard work over the past ten, seven years. It's been quite hard work. Obviously we're getting to these stages, it's kind of like the fruits coming out of the trees now. It has been hard work but it's served us well.' More recently, the band have launched a pop-up shop in their hometown to celebrate the release of their album, with Ryan admitting it was 'cool' to meet the people who have supported them over the years and seen their rise to success. He went on to add: 'The streams on Spotify, it's hard to kind of comprehended when you've got 100 people still in a shop buying your albums. Yeah, it's a good feeling.' Living between Manchester and Liverpool has been a huge help for the band. 'You get more doors open for you when you live between massive music scenes. There are more venues on your doorstep, which is why it's such a shame. See so many closing doors on a lot of the venues that we started off playing aren't there anymore. Theres a lot of focus on keeping them open now which I hope succeeds.' One of the venues the band have played the most was The Leadmill, Ryan said: 'There's just something in the water.' Speaking about their set at Tramlines, drummer Nathan said: 'We can't wait I think was an extra buzz as well obviously, because we just dropped the album. So I think it's just going to be a little extra special on stage for us and for the fans as well.' Jamie added: 'I think it's going to be f**king mint. I think it's going to rock.'
