An anti-knife campaign launched by Sadiq Khan on Wednesday (November 15) hopes to persuade young Londoners that they are "too valuable to risk their lives by carrying a knife".

London Needs You Alive, a key part of the Mayor's ground-breaking Knife Crime Strategy, aims to reduce crime by focusing on the potential of teenagers in the capital.

Some of London's most influential young artists and campaigners - from grime and rap stars to bloggers - joined the Mayor to launch the project this week.

The campaign puts forward a positive message and hopes to influence teenagers in the capital to make an active choice not to carry a knife.

It highlights how valuable they are to London, to their family and friends and how, by using their talent, and not picking up a knife, they can accomplish great things.

In what the Mayor hopes will become a new movement, the campaign asks people to post on social media telling friends and family why London needs them alive and why they should not carry a knife.

To spread the message, grime artist Yungen, MC Bossman Birdie, photographer Tom Sloan, blogger The Slumflower and poet Hussain Manawer posted and asked their followers to create their own.

The Mayor has launched a campaign to stop knife crime in London

Speaking after the launch on Wednesday (November 15), Sadiq Khan said: "London is the best city in the world, full of opportunity and one of the safest.

"But too many of our young people are being senselessly lost to knife crime - it has to stop.

"We can't solve the problem by police enforcement alone, we need to get the message across that our young Londoners are too valuable to risk their lives by carrying a knife.

"They are our future musicians, artists, sportsmen and women, comedians, scientists, entrepreneurs and role models - we need them."

"Too many of our young people are being senselessly lost to knife crime"

The launch comes at the time of rising crime in the UK, with records suggesting crime in both London and across the country has been increasing since 2014.

Knife crime across England and Wales rose by 14% in 2016 and has claimed the lives of 40 Londoners under the age of 25 this year.

The Mayor's new campaign follows in-depth research and analysis with communities and young people who are most affected by the problem.

It also has the support of the Kinsella family, Yvonne Lawson and others who have sadly lost loved ones and who are now dedicating their lives to tackling knife crime.

'It takes a village to raise a child'

“There is an old proverb which says it takes a village to raise a child," the Mayor added.

"That means the whole community – parents, families, teachers, schools, youth clubs or social workers – playing its part and I am proud to have the support of so many talented and influential role models in launching this new campaign.

"These people have used their talent to achieve great things and realise their potential. Now they are helping to ensure the next generation can do the same.

“London Needs You Alive is a new movement. I want everyone to get involved. By showing the incredible young people of our city how much we need and value them, we could save countless lives.”

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