Youths rally against knife crime with provocative DVD
Cleveland Police has given its support to a DVD produced by young people in Teesside warning about the dangers of knife crime.
Cleveland Police has given its support to a DVD produced by young people in Teesside warning about the dangers of knife crime.
The teenagers, from Whinney Banks Youth and Community Centre in Middlesbrough, produced and acted in the short film entitled Get the Message in the hope of getting a message across to their peers. It features a fight between two teenagers over a girl, resulting in one of the young men facing a murder conviction and life behind bars for stabbing a rival to death.
The teenagers, aged between 13 and 19, completed the project with their own filming equipment. It was launched last week by Middlesbrough councillor Barbara Dunne, whose son was killed with a Samurai sword.
Middlesbrough Council Youth Service also worked with the youths to produce the film in partnership with West Middlesbrough Positive Futures.
Cllr Dunne said: Its a very clear and very strong message that they are getting out to their own generation saying no to knives.
Other youths will listen because they always do to their own generation.
It is hoped the DVD will be shown in schools across Teesside to warn youngsters of the dangers of carrying knives.
Jack Campbell, 14, who played one of the youths fighting in the film said: There are too many killings happening so we are just trying to get the message across of what will happen.
Andy Housbey, manager of Whinney Banks Youth and Community Centre, said eight young centre members had worked on the film.
They have done this in a week. Im thrilled with the motivation they showed, he said.