London knife crime: 100-man march against Croydon deaths

A march involving 100 men took to the streets of south London in protest against a record year of violence.

Last year 30 teenagers, including five from Croydon, were stabbed to death on the streets of the capital.

On Friday, campaign group Croydon My Ends coordinator Anthony King gathered 100 men willing to be mentors to local families in a bid to stop young people carrying knives.

"Enough is enough," he said. "Stop carrying knives and pick up a pen."

The parents of Jermaine Cools, a 14-year-old boy who became the 27th victim of a stabbing in London last year, were part of the protest.

Jermaine's mother, Lorraine Dudek, said: "it's nice to see so many people here to support trying to make a change in knife crime.

"We're in so much pain and when we go home is when it hits the most."

His father Julius said: "There's a pain inside that will never go away.

"It's just very, very hard for us to live."

As the marchers took to the streets of Croydon, Mr King said they were "tired of burying our young people" and urged the community to work with the Met Police to tackle the issue.

He said: "We had to show Croydon that we have over 100 men willing to to stand by the community, to mentor the community and show young people that they have a future.

"We're tired of seeing mothers crying, we're tired of seeing siblings and cousins crying, because they have lost a loved one.

"Two children from one school were murdered over the course of six months and we're having to stand with kids that are weeping, crying and shouting 'not again'.

"We will come together as a community and stand together and say 'stop carrying a knife, pick up a pen'."