Latest news with #KaydenMoy
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Daily Record
Scots knifeman caught with huge machete by police dog getting trained nearby
The blade of the machete is over one-and-a-half feet long. An unlucky knife thug was caught armed with a huge blade by a police dog - while the pooch and dog handlers were in the middle of a training exercise. The male in question had been seen acting suspiciously in Larbert, near Falkirk, and the alarm was raised, resulting in officers being asked to attend the scene. That meant that the four dog handlers who were training close by attended the scene. A Police Dog named Foss was utilised and the animal helped recover the blade. The black-handled machete measures more than two feet and has a blade which is more than one-and-a-half feet long. A picture of the deadly weapon was shared on social media. The weapon looked like its handle is metal and has been covered with dark electrical tape, and the weapon had what appeared to be string at the bottom. The string seems to act as a wrist strap and the logo for American knife manufacturing firm Mtech USA can be seen at the base of the blade on the weapon. 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 post on the Police Scotland Forth Valley Facebook page read: "When a male was reported acting suspiciously close to Larbert he clearly wasn't expecting 4 dog handlers to be training around the corner. "They diverted to the scene & after #PDFoss"spoke" to him they recovered this large knife he had concealed. #Pawsome #KnifeCrime." A picture of the dog was also published as part of the post, and we have contacted Police Scotland for further information on the incident. Earlier this week we reported how a was mother leading a campaign against youth violence and pleading with parents and kids to talk about the issue in the wake of Kayden Moy's death. Lynsday McDade, manager of Crimestoppers youth service Fearless, said conversations about attacks involving young people are "more important than ever". Ms McDade old the events that took place at Irvine Beach last weekend made her "feel ill" as a parent. She said that youngsters must tell an adult if they know of someone carrying a weapon, involved or violence or any other crimes. Her calls come after 16-year-old Kayden died after he was stabbed in an incident at the Ayrshire beauty spot on May 17. Kayden, from East Kilbride, was rushed to hospital but was sadly pronounced dead the following morning. Lyndsay said: 'In the wake of the devastating incident in Irvine at the weekend - and other recent events involving young people across Scotland - it's more important than ever to talk about the power of speaking up. "Encouraging young people to share what they know about crime can be a life-saving conversation and one we all need to be having."
The National
6 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Shona Craven: Young people have the right to feel disillusioned
'Call for more police powers to tackle rise in knife crime' was The Scotsman's line. Reports of these calls by the Scottish Conservatives coincided with the sentencing of a 21-year-old man for murdering 18-year-old Lewis McCartney with a knife in Edinburgh, and came days after Kayden Moy, aged just 16, was stabbed to death in Irvine. The general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation says officers need more stop-and-search powers. Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay says the SNP have been 'weak and reckless' in their approach to youth justice. The evidence, however, supports the Scottish Government's decision to take a public health approach to violence prevention. READ MORE: Jonathon Shafi: Angela Rayner is well aware that Israel has broken international law There are no quick-fix solutions here. The question of why a young person would even think about carrying a knife – let alone using one – goes far beyond police procedure, or sentencing guidelines. We know by now that risk factors for youth violence include poverty, addiction and social isolation, plus broader societal factors such as high levels of unemployment and societal inequality. In other words, politicians must look at the bigger picture. Unfortunately, that isn't looking very positive right now for under-25s in the UK. Hundreds of thousands of young people are struggling to find jobs and an even greater number are 'economically inactive', meaning they can't work, have given up trying or never even started, going directly from school to living off benefits and essentially admitting defeat. It's a miserable situation that's projected to get much worse. But it's hard to blame these youngsters for feeling disillusioned. A youth adviser who addressed the House of Lords last month was met with gasps after he reported that there were 'kids on the internet 24 hours a day, and they don't want to work for anything less than 40 grand'. He said there was a need to 'imbue them with a sense of 'you need to put a shift in, to get what you want in life'.' But what do these youngsters want out of life, and is it realistic for them to believe that with hard work they'll be able to achieve it? It's easy to dismiss them as coddled and delusional, but perhaps they're actually just numerate. If they're looking at rents, mortgage rates, energy bills and supermarket prices, they may conclude that even if they graft for 37.5 hours a week there won't be an awful lot left after they cover their essentials, especially if those include a car and fuel, or rail travel to a workplace. Their parents and grandparents may grumble that it has been ever thus, and these young people just need to buck up their ideas, but the job landscape is fundamentally different to when they entered the workforce. Past generations were willing to endure entry-level wages, flat shares and beans on toast for a spell, safe in the knowledge they would be able to climb a career ladder and improve their position. So fast-changing is the current technological landscape that young people who 'put a shift in' might end up sliding down a snake instead, finding themselves replaced by a chatbot or an AI agent. READ MORE: Ellie Gomersall: Be in no doubt. Reform UK are a real and present danger Maybe during the '24 hours a day' they apparently spend on the internet they are reading or hearing about the scale of in-work poverty – that's if they aren't experiencing it first-hand in their own family homes, with parents working multiple jobs but still drowning in debt. The results of the latest Consumer Scotland Energy Tracker were published last week, with 15% of survey respondents reporting they were in energy debt or arrears (up from 9% last year) and a third saying they were unable to heat their homes to a comfortable level due to the cost. Young people are living in these cold homes. It seems unlikely that a well-timed motivational lecture will convince them that hard work is guaranteed to get you what you want out of life. Of course, if you don't even try you will end up stuck, but tragically it seems many view that as a safer option – or their only option. Responding to the £40k-a-year revelation, the Daily Mail's headline referred to 'internet-obsessed and job-shy Gen Z'. There's a huge abdication of responsibility there – especially from a title whose website was a gateway drug for those vulnerable to what we now call 'doom-scrolling'. Is it fair to chide digital natives for not having the self-restraint to put down their smartphones when their own parents are glued to the damned things? It seems the best the Prime Minister has to offer is a European youth mobility scheme – in other words, an escape route out of the country. The news that he is planning (probably, maybe) to scrap the two-child benefit cap (at some point, if he can find the money) won't do much to lift the sense of despair about the kind of future the broken UK political system is storing up for young people who have every right to feel demoralised.
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Knife kid told my 10-year-old son ‘I'm going to stab you', says Scots mum
The horror comes amid growing concerns over youth knife crime SCHOOL BLADE TERROR Knife kid told my 10-year-old son 'I'm going to stab you', says Scots mum Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SCHOOLBOY was threatened with knives in a playpark by two classmates aged just nine and ten. Cops were called after one of the P5 kids brandished a lockback blade at the ten-year-old, leaving him petrified. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The victim's mum told how her son is too traumatised to go back to school Credit: Les Gallagher 3 Cops were called after one of the P5 kids brandished a lockback blade Credit: Les Gallagher 3 The primary age louts fled when the boy's dad arrived Credit: Tom Farmer The victim's mum told how her son is too traumatised to go back to Whatriggs Primary in Kilmarnock, yards from the park. She said: 'It broke my heart how scared he was.' The lad of ten who made the threat was traced and will be reported to authorities. His younger pal was also identified as it emerged the weapon he pulled from a bag was a toy replica. The horror on May 11 comes amid growing concerns over youth knife crime after 16-year-old Kayden Moy was allegedly stabbed to death at Irvine beach, Ayrshire, ten days ago. The latest victim's frightened mum claims one of the two tearaways had previously threatened to stab her child. She told The Scottish Sun: 'My son told me that a few weeks earlier, the wee boy who had the knife said to him in class, 'I'm going to stab you. I've got my big brother's knife'. 'Then, that Sunday, my son was out with two friends and two boys pulled out a knife each and threatened them. 'My son phoned me crying, saying, 'They have blades'. 'He sounded terrified. His voice was trembling. He said, 'They had a knife each and they've got it out at the park'. 'I kept him on the phone and his dad drove to the park. He was telling me, 'Mum, I'm terrified'.' The primary age louts fled when the boy's dad arrived and the parents called the police. Police probing death of 'stabbed' teen Kayden Moy swoop on Scots park They also contacted Whatriggs Primary — where it's claimed the boy has been the victim of bullying — the following day but claim their concerns haven't been taken seriously. The mum added: 'My wee boy didn't want to go to school in case they took the knife out again. 'He had said to me, 'What happens if they bring it in their school bag?' 'We were in the car when the radio came on about Kayden Moy having been stabbed. Then there was a notification on my phone that he had died. 'My son said, 'That could have happened to us last week when we were at the park'.' The boy's father added: 'It's terrifying to think kids as young as nine are roaming the streets armed with weapons.' Police Scotland said: 'A boy, aged 10, will be reported to the relevant authorities.' East Ayrshire Council said: 'All reports of bullying are taken very seriously by the head and her team.' We told how a boy of seven recently allegedly took a blade in to Heathfield Primary in Ayr to attack another pupil. Two boys, 17, have been charged with murdering Kayden. Another lad, 16, faces a murder bid rap over another alleged stabbing at Portobello beach, Edinburgh, a day earlier.
Daily Record
7 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
SNP cuts to local youth services and education is damning for John Swinney
Violent attacks against young people are devastating communities right across Scotland. We are regularly seeing reports of violent bullying, stabbings and even of Primary School aged children bringing knives to school. In the very worst cases, young people are losing their lives – their potential, promise and future stolen in an instant. The First Minister says even one stabbing is too many and he is right, but the truth is there have been too many of these incidents to count. The fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Kayden Moy from East Kilbride last weekend was utterly heartbreaking. The day before that a boy was stabbed in Portobello. It has happened before, and the grim truth is that it will happen again without meaningful action. We need to fix the problems the SNP created in our justice system and make communities safer, but it will take much more than that to address these deep-rooted issues. Too many young people are feeling hopeless – they have been deprived of opportunities and unable to get mental health support. I have spoken many times about the SNP 's dangerous mismanagement of child and adolescent mental health services. Too often young people at crisis point are being left waiting months or even years for the help they desperately need. Local youth services have suffered as the SNP has raided billions from Councils. More and more teachers and pupils report feeling unsafe in schools. Attainment is declining, inequalities widening, and teachers struggling to cope. It is not just schools – right across the board, the SNP's education system is letting young people down. Colleges have had places, staff and funding cut, universities have harsh caps on places for Scottish students, fewer young people are doing apprenticeships, and youth unemployment is rising. The SNP once said we should judge them on their record on education – well this record is one to be ashamed of. It is the duty of any government to build a better future for the next generation, but the SNP has done the opposite. The SNP has robbed young people of opportunities, demolished support services and allowed violence to run riot. One constant throughout the many years and many failures of this SNP government is John Swinney. He was the Finance Secretary who cut local services, the Education Secretary who tried to downgrade the exam results of working class pupils, and the First Minister who failed to act in the face of a growing youth violence epidemic. John Swinney and the SNP created this crisis – they will not be the ones to fix it. The UK Labour government is delivering for young people by boosting the Minimum Wage for young workers, meaning a pay rise of up to £2,500 a year. But young people need a Scottish Government that is on their side too. Scottish Labour will rebuild our once world-class education system, make sure CAMHS can cope, and deal with both the causes and the consequences of violence head on. It's time for a new direction for the next generation. HOUSING EMERGENCY A year ago the SNP declared a housing emergency, but things are still getting worse. After Ministers acknowledged this national emergency, rough sleeping rose and the number of children in temporary accommodation hit a record high. Housebuilding in 2024 was lower than the year before, and house prices and rent are still rising faster than inflation. The SNP's plan for the year ahead was branded a 'Programme for Homelessness' by Shelter Scotland and 31 out of 32 Scottish Councils have had their social housing budgets cut by the SNP. This is a shameful record with catastrophic consequences for people across Scotland. Extortionate rents are piling pressure on struggling Scots and home ownership is a distant dream for many. Families are stuck in overcrowded, mouldy homes because they don't have any other options. Worst of all, 10,000 children are in temporary accommodation without a home to call their own. The UK Labour government is leading the way by reforming planning and building more homes in England, but the SNP is failing to act. Scotland deserves better and Scottish Labour will deliver it by getting Scotland building and working with Councils to ensure every Scot has the safe, secure home they need. SAVE HAMILTON ACCIES Football belongs to the fans and clubs shouldn't be able to leave their local communities without their support. Davy Russell has pledged to work with the SPFL to give fans a voice and save under-threat clubs like the Hamilton Accies.
Daily Record
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Calls for stop and search powers increase amid youth violence ‘epidemic'
The calls have been made in wake of 16-year-old Kayden Moy's tragic death last weekend. The Scottish Tories have called for police stop-and-search powers to be extended amid a 'growing epidemic' of youth violence. The Conservatives made the call as they said there have been 13 alleged knife attacks on teenagers in recent months, two of which were fata. The party also referenced recent comments by David Kennedy in the Daily Record earlier this week as part of its youth violence campaign, Our Kids ... Our Future. Kennedy, the general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, demanded "more power to save lives" in the wake of 16-year-old Kayden Moy's tragic death l ast weekend. "The tragic stabbing of a 16-year-old is yet another stark reminder of the growing threat of youth violence on our streets. "Police officers across Scotland are working tirelessly to keep the public safe, but we are operating with one hand tied behind our backs. Current stop and search powers do not go far enough to tackle the rise in young people carrying weapons. "It has become increasingly difficult for police to deal with under 16s due to laws that were introduced to protect children and young people but, in fact, it does the opposite because police are left with their hands tied. "We have to be able to conduct stop and searches and do that no matter what age they are. As it stands, you need to have reasonable cause to do so and that will be difficult to establish when it comes to youths. "Youths are getting away with a lot in terms of crime nowadays and we urgently require new, robust legislation that empowers officers to act decisively and prevent violence before it happens. "The law must evolve to reflect the reality our officers face every day." Tory leader Russell Findlay said: 'Decisive and prompt action must be taken to stop the growing epidemic of youth violence, especially involving knives. 'Stop-and-search powers need to be extended immediately while a fundamental rethink is required of the SNP's weak approach which fails victims and fuels violence. '(First Minister) John Swinney should listen to frontline officers who know how to get this crisis under control and prevent more young lives being needlessly lost. 'Tougher stop-and-search powers would help police to prevent violence, protect young people and keep the public safe. 'These powers are merited because this is a matter of life or death. The SNP need to act now to avoid more attacks and killings on Scotland's streets.' Mr Findlay's party said that with 'more serious crimes' being referred to the children's panel rather than prosecuted in court, there are often 'no consequences' for serious offenders. Even when prosecutions do happen, the Tories said, sentencing guidelines mean those aged under 25 are 'less likely' to be jailed. Mr Findlay continued: 'In the longer term, John Swinney should show some common sense by recognising that his weak approach is sending a dangerous signal to young offenders. 'Too many young criminals think they can do whatever they want without any consequences for their actions, and it is usually other young people who pay the price.' The Record launched Our Kids ... Our Future in February 2023 after we reported on a concerning series of attacks on children across the country. As part of the campaign, we have demanded the Scottish Government to invest in young people so they can be mentored, guided and nurtured in every community.
