AN ENFIELD politician has backed the Enfield Independent's campaign against teenage knife crime in the borough.

The Don't Carry, Don't Kill drive was launched today in a fightback against an increase in gang crime that is blighting Enfield leading to violent stabbings and attacks.

As part of the campaign, we are backing Enfield North MP Nick de Bois' call to extend new sentencing powers for a six-month mandatory jail sentence for those caught with a knife to under-18s.

He said: “I greatly welcome the Don’t Carry, Don’t Kill campaign being launched by the Enfield Independent.

“This is a campaign of such critical importance to our community where we have seen all too tragic examples of fatal stabbings and serious injury.

“I’m backing the new offence of possessing a knife to threaten or endanger a life, and welcome that this would carry a mandatory six month prison sentence.

“I also hope we will see equally strong measures to prevent youth knife crime, and in this case we not only need tough sentences but early intervention and ex-offender programmes.

“If we achieve this, we will stop these tragedies occurring that we in Enfield know have happened far too often.”

Last week two rival gangs carrying guns, machetes and hammers faced off in Hertford Road where a 16-year-old boy was stabbed in the hand leaving him with a serious injury.

In April 15-year-old Edmonton County School pupil Negus McClean was stabbed in the chest in Bounce Road after he tried to stop a gang stealing his 12-year-old brother’s phone. He was found in a pool of blood in a nearby street where he died.

Teenagers held a Unity Peace March through Edmonton last month to protest against gang culture and knife crime.

Organiser Hazel Williams is also backing the Don't Carry, Don't Kill campaign.

She said: “Parents, teachers and mentors - we need to elicit in our youth a love for life.

“We need a love of self again, because when you love yourself it elicits love of others, which will cause youth to think twice before killing each other – but this will take a mind shift change.”

Ms Williams is running a float at the Notting Hill Carnival in August to help spread the message about knife crime, but needs 100 teenage volunteers to help her.

For more information or to get involved, click here to visit her website.