Latest news with #BenKinsellaTrust
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
Edinburgh Sheriff Court staff confiscate over 200 'bladed weapons' in past year
More than 200 bladed weapons were confiscated from people entering Edinburgh Sheriff Court in the past year. Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request show guns, bullets and 2,000 blades are among the deadly haul of weapons brought into Scottish courts in the last year. Security staff seized 1,258 bladed items and 815 knives at courthouse checkpoints between April 2024 and March this year. READ MORE: East Lothian police swoop on high street as officers seen 'surrounding a vehicle' READ MORE: Darragh Ennis' life away from The Chase with childhood sweetheart and second job Edinburgh's Sheriff Court was the second worst affected building in Scotland, with more than 200 bladed weapons and 119 knives found by security staff at checkpoints between April 2024 and March this year. The data, obtained by our sister title the Daily Record, did not reveal which types of knives were seized or whether the blades were over three inch legal limit for carrying in public. Glasgow Sheriff Court takes the unwanted place at the top of the weapons list with 278 blades seized and 123 knives. The worst month was October 2024 where a total of 40 bladed articles and 16 knives were seized. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) said they take the safety of all court users "very seriously" and security crews alert police when attempts to smuggle in weapons are made. However knife crime charity, the Ben Kinsella Trust, branded the grim statistics as "deeply alarming". Chief executive Patrick Green said: "The large number of bladed articles seized at the entrance of court buildings is deeply alarming. "What's especially concerning is that the prospect of a search isn't deterring individuals, which points to a worrying normalisation of knife carrying." Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Blades have also made their way into Scotland's two High Courts where the country's most serious crimes are tried. The data shows that 174 bladed articles were taken from individuals at Glasgow High Court, whilst 51 knives were confiscated. In the capital, Edinburgh High Court has a much reduced rate of sharp weapons entering the building. Only six bladed articles were confiscated whilst 22 knives were seized.. Some data from the country's smaller courts were not available. A spokesperson for Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service said: "SCTS takes the safety of all court users very seriously. We constantly review security issues and share those outcomes with our justice partners, including Police Scotland, in order to take all reasonable precautions against weapons being introduced into court buildings. "Any item which is considered to be a potential risk to public safety will be confiscated on entering a court building and the discovery of weapons or potential weapons is immediately reported to the police." A Scottish Violence Reduction Unit spokesperson said: "There is no place for weapon-carrying in Scotland and we should not accept it. "We must continue to work together across all services to tackle the root causes of weapon-carrying to address the problem."
Daily Record
21-05-2025
- Daily Record
ITV GMB's Susanna Reid fights back tears as she's left 'in awe' of Southport survivor
Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid was overcome with emotion as she listened to Southport survivor Leanne Lucas, who was critically injured in a knife attack, on the ITV show. Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid was visibly moved during a poignant interview with Leanne Lucas on Wednesday's programme. Susanna, alongside her co-presenter Richard Madeley, engaged in conversation with Leanne, a yoga teacher who suffered life-threatening injuries in the Southport knife attack last year, which tragically ended the lives of three young girls - Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice Aguiar. Leanne appeared on GMB with Patrick Green, the CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust, to announce the initiation of the Let's Be Blunt campaign. Her goal is to encourage a societal change that favours the use of blunt-ended knives over traditional pointed-tip ones, reducing the likelihood of grave injuries. Upon introducing Leanne to the viewers, Susanna spoke to her with deep empathy and admiration. "I'm just sitting here in awe of your courage to be here this morning, to reflect on what happened last summer. I know that you will have been changed and become a very different person because of what happened to you," Susanna remarked, reports Bristol Live. She continued: "I know that it's vital to you that you find something that helps you get something out of the trauma and tragedy, that means that you could, in the future, perhaps, save lives. "And, that's what this campaign is all about, isn't it?" Leanne concurred with Susanna's remarks, then tearfully elaborated: "Yes. Evil will not win. There has to be something that comes out of this, there has to be change. "This cannot happen to the families it happened to, and we just sit back and do nothing about it. I will not let that happen." As a yoga instructor, Leanne proceeded to discuss her recovery process, highlighting the significance of openly discussing knife crime. In a heart-wrenching admission, Leanne shared that she had not returned to her teaching role and remained uncertain about her future in the profession. "No. My role was a teacher. To be responsible for the safety of children. That's a really difficult position for me to ever be back in again, to be responsible for anybody else," she sorrowfully revealed to Richard and Susanna. "It's a really difficult situation to be in when you're faced with something you just never imagined could happen." When Richard inquired if knowing she had done her best during the attack had aided her recovery, Leanne responded: "Not really, because look what happened. We can't change the result of what happened." She continued: "So, if we can do anything to make sure that people don't feel the way I feel, the way the families feel, the way Southport feels, then we will continue to talk about this. I think that's one of the main things I'm trying to say, is we need to talk about knife crime." 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'.
ITV News
21-05-2025
- ITV News
Southport survivor Leanne Lucas launches 'Let's be Blunt' campaign for ban on pointed knives
Leanne Lucas is calling for a ban on pointed knives and says 'we must continue to talk about knife crime' A yoga teacher who survived the Southport attack says "evil will not win", as she launches her campaign for safer knives. Leanne Lucas managed to get several children to safety in the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024, despite being stabbed several times. Leanne has partnered with the Ben Kinsella Trust for the 'Let's be Blunt' campaign, calling for people to swap to blunted knives, instead of ones with pointed tips. The teacher is heading to Westminster to call on MPs to endorse the campaign, saying the damage and "misery she saw caused by knives must never be repeated". Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Leanne said she the horrific events in Southport "changed her life forever". Leanne was critically injured in the attack on 29 July 2024, and three children - Alice da Silva Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King - were killed. She said she hasn't been able to use a kitchen knife since the attack. Leanne said: "I think being introduced to the blunt tip knives has been a step forward for me in my journey, as well as being able to speak about it publicly to help everybody else. "There has to be something that comes out of this, there has to be change." Patrick Green, from the Ben Kinsella Trust, said: "With blunted knives we're removing the opportunity, the impulsivity. "Blunted knives would make things safer for everyone, and it's something the public can adopt right now. "We don't need to wait for legislation, I expect a lot of people don't know that you can actually buy these knives now." The 'Let's be Blunt' campaign is being unveiled at a Knife Crime Awareness Week parliamentary reception on Wednesday, 21 May, where Leanne will speak alongside the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson. Knife Crime Awareness Week, which runs from 19–25 May, is organised by the Ben Kinsella Trust, a knife crime prevention charity. Leanne told Good Morning Britain: "We can't change what happened. "But if we can do anything, so people don't feel the way I feel, the way the families feel, then we will continue to talk about this. "We need to talk about knife crime and how we can keep people safe. "If everyone plays a tiny part in tackling this, we can make a massive change."
Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Susanna Reid fights tears as Southport survivor makes heratbreaking admission
Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid was left emotional during an interview with Leanne Lucas, who was critically injured in the Southport knife attack last year Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid couldn't hold back her emotions during Wednesday's (21 May) programme as she spoke with Leanne Lucas, a guest who survived the horrific Southport stabbing incident last year. Susanna, alongside co-anchor Richard Madeley, welcomed both Leanne, a yoga instructor who sustained critical injuries in the assault that tragically ended the lives of three youngsters - Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice Aguiar - and Patrick Green, CEO of Ben Kinsella Trust to discuss an impactful new initiative. Leanne has bravely stepped forward to launch the Let's Be Blunt campaign, a drive to encourage a societal shift towards using blunt-ended kitchen knives instead of traditional sharp ones as a measure to reduce severe injuries. Upon introducing Leanne to the show's audience, Susanna addressed her own admiration for the guest's resilience. "I'm just sitting here in awe of your courage to be here this morning, to reflect on what happened last summer. I know that you will have been changed and become a very different person because of what happened to you," said Susanna. She continued: "I know that it's vital to you that you find something that helps you get something out of the trauma and tragedy, that means that you could, in the future, perhaps, save lives. And, that's what this campaign is all about, isn't it?" Leanne, visibly moved by Susanna's words, shared: "Yes. Evil will not win. There has to be something that comes out of this, there has to be change. This cannot happen to the families it happened to, and we just sit back and do nothing about it. I will not let that happen." The yoga instructor discussed her path to recovery and stressed the crucial need for open discussions on knife crime. Heart-wrenchingly admitting that she hadn't stepped back into her role as a teacher, Leanne expressed uncertainty about her future in teaching, reports Bristol Live. "No. My role was a teacher. To be responsible for the safety of children. That's a really difficult position for me to ever be back in again, to be responsible for anybody else," Leanne somberly confided to Richard and Susanna. "It's a really difficult situation to be in when you're faced with something you just never imagined could happen." When Richard inquired if feeling she had done "the best" she could during the attack had aided her healing, Leanne responded: "Not really, because look what happened. We can't change the result of what happened." Continuing with passionate conviction, Leanne added: "So, if we can do anything to make sure that people don't feel the way I feel, the way the families feel, the way Southport feels, then we will continue to talk about this. I think that's one of the main things I'm trying to say, is we need to talk about knife crime."
Asharq Al-Awsat
21-05-2025
- Asharq Al-Awsat
School Shirts Art Exhibition Highlights Problem of Knife Crime in Bristol
An art exhibition showcasing school shirts emblazoned with anti-knife crime messages will go on display as part of Knife Crime Awareness Week, a BBC report said on Tuesday. Created by young people in Bristol, the exhibition will be held at the Lord Mayor's Chapel on College Green, Bristol, from May 19 to 25. In the 'Empty Shirts, Lost Childhoods' project, participants aged 13 to 25 were invited to decorate plain white school shirts with poetry, slogans, artwork, and memorials that reflect their feelings and experiences of knife crime. The University of Bristol's Dr. Jade Levell, who led the project, said the exhibition 'shines an important light' on young people. Knife Crime Awareness Week, which runs from May 19 to 25, is an annual campaign by the Ben Kinsella Trust that aims to raise awareness of knife crime's devastating effects and promote preventative solutions. Levell said: 'Writing on school shirts is a rite of passage for many young people as they graduate from formal education.' 'Children involved in youth violence often miss out on this milestone, due to being excluded from school, victims of violence, or perpetrators in custody,' she added. The project represents the culmination of a unique creative project spearheaded by the University of Bristol in collaboration with local schools and youth organizations. It also invites community members to respond by contributing to a 'community manifesto' that will be shared with the Bristol City Council and other partners to inform future youth violence prevention strategies. Duncan Stanway, assistant director at Barnardo's, said: 'It is important that we listen to what young people who are affected by violence say about their lives.' He added: 'We see too many young people who are seriously harmed through exploitation and violence.' The initiative is part of a broader citywide effort, led by the Bristol City Office, to address serious youth violence through collaboration between community groups, academics, police, and public health bodies. Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody praised the initiative, saying: 'It powerfully captures the voices and experiences of young people affected by violence.'
