Article: published on 13 July 2023

A council is to set up a group to investigate how it can reduce knife crime.

Bath and North East Somerset councillor Dine Romero wants to see if the council can do more to tackle the issue.

She said the area had seen three fatalities over the past year, so it was important to look into anything more that could be done "collectively to prevent more deaths".

Her comments come after the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Mikey Roynon in Bath last month.

Mr Roynon, 16, from Bristol died from a single stab wound at a party on 10 June.

Two teenagers were charged with his murder and remain in youth detention.

The council released a joint statement with Chief Inspector Ronald Lungu of the Bath Neighbourhood Policing team, stating that the council’s children’s services team were working with local schools to help children and young people affected by the incident.

Now Ms Romero says the council should look at what work it can do with partners to prevent knife crime incidents.

She told the the council’s Children, Adults, Health and Wellbeing policy development and scrutiny panel: “I intend to set up a group to look at knife crime, and knives and young people, so we can actually find out if there’s anything more that we as a council or any other agency could be doing.”

Follow BBC West on Facebook, external, Twitter, external and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk