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The hard-hitting advertising campaign in which the Government is investing £3million over the next three years was unveiled today at an event with the young people who developed the concept and who scripted and recorded the radio adverts.

Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said:

"I am in no doubt about the importance of tackling knife crime and this is even starker following recent tragic events. Any incident involving a knife is one too many and we are determined to take tough action against those who carry them. We have already given police tough powers and doubled the maximum sentence for carrying a knife from two to four years.

"We know that many young people carry a knife because they are fearful and these adverts tell powerful stories about the dangers of going down that path. People have got to get the message that if they carry a knife, there's more chance of it being used against them.

"The majority of our young people are good, honest and law-abiding but it's crucial that we prevent young people from turning to knives as well as encouraging those that do, for whatever reason, to find a way out and put down their weapons."

A screenshot of the Knife Crime CCTV video produced for the campaign

Eighteen teenagers from across England and Wales took part in a Creative Summit in April this year to share ideas on how to make their peers think twice about carrying a knife. The participants developed the concept of a series of stabbings that could have been averted as the basis for the adverts.

Eighteen year old Khadijah Murchison from Bristol said:

"All the young people that went to the Creative Summit have been affected by knife crime, so to share our experiences with each other and come up with ideas and adverts that will help reduce knife crime was great. Hopefully, it will make a real difference."

This work built on discussions the Home Office held with 70 young people aged 10-16 between February and March, which aimed to gain an understanding of young people's experience of knife crime and possession; the issues that motivate them to carry knives and their perceptions of risk and consequence.

Further information

• Knife Crime - it doesn't have to happen Opens new window

• Tough new sanctions to tackle knife crime

• Talk about knives: campaign to parents Opens new window