The tragic death of Alfie Lewis highlights the urgent need to tackle knife crime

Quite often, knife crime is reduced to statistics but the consequences of younger people in particular carrying knives are devastating. Not just for those killed or injured in attacks but for their families and friends.

That was certainly the case for the friends and family of Alfie Lewis. The 15-year-old from Leeds was fatally stabbed after school. Alfie’s friend Toby Colling, who had been walking up the road to meet him, would hold him during those final moments.

An incident like that is enough to scar people of a much older age than Toby. It is why what he is trying to do is so inspiring.

He sought solace by training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and now wants to honour his friend’s memory with the support of Alfie’s mum, Heather.

It should never have been this way. Alfie should never have been deprived of his bright future. His mum should never have had her son taken away from her so tragically. And Toby should not have lost his best friend in such avoidable circumstances.

A lot of the discussion when it comes to knife crime is centred around gangs. But as this tragic story shows, that’s not always the case.

The next government should be looking to put together a task force that looks at how this scourge can be tackled effectively. Knife crime should not be allowed to fall victim to Westminster bickering - a cross-party consensus on tackling the issue is urgently needed.

While banning the online sale of zombie knives and other preventative measures would help. A holistic approach, from education to youth provisions, needs to be taken to stop children from thinking that it’s acceptable to carry knives.