As another devastating week of youth violence has rocked London , these are some of the real stories of young people who have been affected by knife crime .

A shocking total of 34 people are reported to have been killed in stabbing incidents in the capital so far in 2018, while on Thursday evening (April 5) six people were injured in the space of just 90 minutes .

A series of powerful videos have been released as part of a Home Office campaign to curb the rise in knife crime, which was up by 26% across London in the 12 months up to February 2018 compared with the previous 12 months.

Over the same period, the number of victims aged under 25 also went up by 7%.

The videos were released in March - a month in which 22 murder investigations were launched in London - as part of the Home Office's #knifefree campaign.

Among the young men to lose their lives so far this year has been rapper Lewis Blackman , killed in Kensington in February, and "inspirational model" Harry Uzoka , who was stabbed to death in Shepherd's Bush in January.

Harry Uzoka was stabbed through the heart in Shepherd's Bush in January

When asked to comment on the rise in reported knife-related crimes in west London, a Met spokesman said: "We remain committed to targeting knife crime through enforcement and education, but have said for some time that we need the help of the community to tackle what is a very complex issue.

"Young people who carry knives are doing so for a variety of reasons, which are not always gang-related, including status, criminality and self-protection.

"But the truth is that if you carry a knife, or you are with someone who does, you are more likely to be stabbed yourself.

"Our primary approach has been to work with schools to educate pupils about the dangers and consequences of carrying a weapon. However, with the support of schools we have also used electronic screening devices to try and identify pupils carrying weapons."

Rotimi Oshibanjo was killed in a fatal stabbing at the Halliday Square housing estate in Southall in February

"We have also conducted covert operations to identify shops located near to schools [which are] selling knives to children," the Met spokesman added.

"We continue to work closely with communities and are looking at where weapons are being sold and who is buying them. This work involves close liaison with Trading Standards and retailers, we are asking them to challenge youngsters purchasing knives.

"The Met has significant youth engagement with 9,000 young people weekly through workshops on knife and gun crime, gang and territorial issues, healthy living, drugs awareness, sexual health and personal safety.

"Our knife crime initiative, Operation Sceptre, continues to see hundreds of weapons seized and is still putting many offenders behind bars."

The stories portrayed in the following Home Office videos are all true, but the young people are being played by actors.

Aliya - "You have to take a step back from the madness and think... is it worth it?"

After spending a childhood in care, Aliya felt "protected" around some older friends who carried knives.

One day when out with some friends, Aliya saw a group of men "repeatedly stabbing" a boy who lay on the floor and was "affected very deeply by it".

The incident left Aliya feeling isolated and made her realise she would never carry a knife.

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Ben - "There's so many things I've not done, I've not achieved"

Ben's "perspective of what the world was about" changed when his best friend was stabbed to death when he was a child and he then started carrying a knife "for protection".

Despite being armed with the weapon, Ben was stabbed in a fight and lay on the ground, holding his girlfriend's hand as his life flashed before his eyes.

His realisation that he had still got so much to achieve in his life meant Ben never carried a knife again.

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Sonny - "It really hit me hard. I have so much talent, something has to change"

Promising footballer Sonny made friends with some people involved in drugs, who gave him his first knife "because I wanted pride", he admits.

At a party, his friend was set upon and in a bid to break up the fight, Sonny was stabbed five times in the stomach and chest.

Sonny woke up in hospital and realised that "something had to change".

Coming out of hospital, he decided to focus on his football, even though he could hardly kick the ball, but he continued to work on it and is now "on the path to achieve his dream".

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The six-week advertising campaign, which directs young people to a dedicated #KnifeFree website , is a precursor to the government's Serious Violence Strategy, which will detail a new approach to steering young people away from crime.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: "The emotional stories at the heart of the new Knife Free campaign bring home in powerful fashion just what a far-reaching impact it can have on a young person’s life if they make the misguided decision to carry a knife.

"I hope any young person who is seriously thinking about carrying a knife listens to what the implications can be and realises what options are available if they choose to live knife-free."

The £1.35m campaign is targeting 10 to 21-year-olds, with advertising on Snapchat, Twitter, TV on demand and Spotify as well as posters in English cities with the highest rates of knife crime.

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