A grieving mum has travelled to Westminster to demand all secondary school pupils are told how to use a bleed kit - and of the life-shattering, rising dangers of knife crime.

       New Office of National Statistics data shows knife-enabled crime in 2023 soared by 7 per cent to 49,489 offences, compared with 2022 - and just this week two teachers and a pupil stabbed at a school in south-west Wales.

       So on Tuesday three anti-crime campaigners met Schools Minister Damian Hinds at Westminster, to call for bleed kit-training and lessons highlighting the tragic consequences of carrying knives be part of the National Curriculum.

       Leanne Ekland, 45 - whose 16 year-old son Max Dixon and best friend Mason Rist, 15, were fatally stabbed when out in Bristol last January - was supported by close friend Carly Kingdon(corr), 35, and local councillor Liz Brennan.

       They have also launched a petition calling on the government to "Make bleed kit training part of the secondary school curriculum."

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       Mum-of-four Leanne, of Knowle West, Bristol, told the Daily Express: "Going to Westminster was an amazing experience and it really felt we were being heard.

       "When I met the minister he listened to what we said very carefully and thanked us for coming and speaking to him.

       "Now we need the whole country to listen and see just how important this sort of training and awareness is - for everybody.

       "This is personal to me and I know speaking out can make this important campaign even stronger.

       "If we could create positive change when it comes to knives in society that could keep Max's memory alive for all the right reasons, forever."

       Seven people have been charged - five with murder - over the deaths of Max and Mason. They remain in custody. A provisional trial date of 7th October has been fixed for the group facing murder charges.

       They include four youths, aged 14, 15, 16 and 17, and Anthony Snook, 44. While Jamie Ogbourne, 26, and Bailey Westcott, 22, are both accused of two charges of assisting an offender.

       Carly, husband Dan, 37, her dad Mike Alden, 57, mum Linda, 53, and Carly's brother Scott all run Park Knowle FC - where Max captained the U-16s and played from the age of eight.

       They are all on a mission to get bleed kits - specialist first aid kits to treat heavy blood loss - installed in as many places as possible alongside school training on how to use them.

       Their petition needs 10,000 signatures for the Government to look at the call, and 100,000 signatures for the idea to be debated in parliament.

       Mike - awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year’s Unsung Hero award back in 2022 - explained: "Max was just such a great kid, a lovely lad. He was growing up into a great young man.

       "He was always really encouraging and positive to his team-mates - that’s why he was captain, he was the stand-out kid to be captain, he was a leader."

       Carly told us: "When we met the minister we asked him to please help us to save lives. Why are schoolkids not being educated properly about knife crime?

       "If we could tell kids just what happens if you use a knife on another human being, about the heavy bleeding, they would think twice about it. Also bleed kits could be used in all sorts of emergencies.

       "If we could make this happen it would be a great legacy for Max. It is never okay that he is not here but we can still do something positive in his name.

       "We are doing this for Leanne and her family - but for Leanne to also get involved in such awful circumstances, I just have huge admiration for her."

       Councillor and Bristol South Tory Parliamentary Candidate Liz Brennan said: "As a mother of teenage boys, I can’t begin to imagine what Max’s family has been through over the past few months.

       "My heart goes out to Leanne, Carly and everybody who knew Max. I felt the Minister was very receptive and would look into our proposals further.

       "The campaign will help to keep our children safe and will ensure that future generations possess the knowledge and skills to respond to emergencies effectively, ultimately saving lives."

       Mark Shelford, Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset, said: "I welcome the efforts by Liz, Leanne, and Carly for campaigning on this important issue and trying to engage with young people before they are caught up by gangs.

       "If we are to truly tackle this issue we must reach out to young people in schools and colleges and give them a positive relationship with the police and a stronger stake in society.

       "It is vital we break the horrific cycle of violence and give our young people their childhoods back."

       Currently the curriculum says secondary school pupils should know about gangs and exploitation - as well as laws relating to "abuse, grooming, coercion, harassment, rape and domestic abuse."

       Meanwhile pupils are also currently taught "concepts of basic first-aid, for example dealing with common injuries, including head injuries" and how to raise the alarm for help.

       But Liz, Carly and Leanne are calling for compulsory teaching of the danger of carrying knives, how knife crime can affect not just victims but their families - and also how to use a bleed kit in case of an emergency.

       After the visit, Schools minister Damian Hinds told the Daily Express: "Thank you to the organisers of this important petition for meeting with me on this subject.

       "Schools can tailor their teaching to suit the issues that their pupils face, including focusing on knife crime as part of the ‘criminal exploitation’ parts of the relationships, sex and health curriculum.

       "The compulsory RSHE (Relationships, Sex and Health Education) curriculum already includes a range of relevant content, including first aid and seeking support from the emergency services."

       He stressed: "Nothing is more important than the safety of children.

       "To tackle the root causes of violence, we are funding Violence Reduction Units, which have reached over 270,000 vulnerable young people since 2019, through schemes such as early intervention programmes to help protect them from serious violence."

       This week Avon and Somerset Police revealed how one in eight retailers sold knives and bladed articles to children - some aged as young as 13 - during their test purchase operation.

       Cadets visited 80 shops across Avon and Somerset, supported by plain-clothed officers, in an attempt to purchase a knife or bladed weapon.

       Ch Insp Mike Vass said: "Any knife sold has the potential to bring tragedy to our communities, something we have seen far too much of in recent months."

       * To sign the petition visit - https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/657196