'The latest street gangster gets too much respect'

Youngsters wrapped up in knife crime and violence need to look at more positive influences on their lives, Mohammed Zafran, chair of West Midlands Crimestoppers volunteer committee, said

"In the football academies I've run over 12 years, some of the youngsters who would come in used to have knives on them. It was shocking."

Youth worker Mohammed Zafran says his experience is just part of how young people often follow the wrong role models, caring little about the potentially fatal consequences of their criminal activity.

Mr Zafran, chair of West Midlands Crimestoppers volunteer committee, spoke as Ronan's Law was announced this week, using it as an opportunity to also remind parents to "keep tabs" more on their children.

Ronan Kanda was killed with a huge sword in Wolverhampton in 2022. His family is proud the law has become part of their "selfless and amazing" boy's legacy.

He was killed in a case of mistaken identity as he walked home from a friend's house after buying a PlayStation controller.

His law particularly focuses on knives being sold online and introduces tougher penalties for those who break it.

Ronan's killer had used his mother's ID to pass security checks as he ordered the huge weapon online.

'Knives are handed in'

Although reported knife crime has fallen in the West Midlands by 6% compared to last year, Mr Zafran, whose brother-in law was murdered in 2010 aged 24, said what he heard from youngsters did not reassure him the figure was accurate.

This is especially because the region had previously recorded the highest rates of knife crime in England and Wales.

"Every other day we're hearing there's been another knife incident, there's been a shooting," Mr Zafran told BBC WM.

As a UK Global Goodwill Youth Ambassador, he also runs the Community Plaza Hub in Bordesley Green, which has worked with thousands of young people to keep them away from crime and often has teenagers handing in knives.

Ronan's mother, Pooja Kanda, has been tirelessly campaigning for tougher control on knife sales

Talking about youngsters turning up for football practice with knives, Mr Zafran said they often don't feel they have a choice in the matter.

"They're participating in sporting activities yet because they fear for their lives outside, just coming to the camp - they might get stabbed on the way, or someone might approach them with a knife - so they carry a knife themselves just for self defence," he said.

"The minute it's self defence, there's a chance they will use it."

Ronan's murder sparked a passionate and lengthy campaign by his family to control the sale of knives as well as seeing tougher penalties being introduced.

His law's introduction comes after the move last September, to ban zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes in England and Wales.

Those who break the ban could go to jail for owning, making, transporting or selling a wide range of "statement" knives favoured by criminal gangs.

'Mindsets need to change'

Under Ronan's law, retailers in England and Wales are required to report any bulk or suspicious knife purchases to police and be more vigilant when checking buyers' photo identity.

Retailers can also face increased prison sentences for selling weapons to under-18s and there is a new offence of "possession with violent intent", which will come with a prison sentence of up to four years.

While Mr Zafran welcomed the changes, he said youngsters' mindsets and understanding about what was a positive influence on their lives needed to change.

"If I'm portraying something positive now, I'm working with 43,000 kids on knife crime get back into education and employment," he said.

Mohammed Zafran said he has helped tens of thousands of youngsters stay away form knife crime

"But you can have someone else playing a rap or talking about how he stabbed people - he'll probably get a massive following on social media. Youngsters follow them as role models, that's the attraction right now," Mr Zafran continued.

"I talk to youngsters, they find that they're the icons for them and that needs to change.

"We're telling parents, make sure you keep tabs on young kids - even 12, 13 year old kids are coming up to us and give us all these names about who is the latest gangster on the road, who stabbed who, who's got the most respect on the street rather than someone who is a teacher who is a role model, working positively."

'Solid first step'

Ronan's sister, Nikita, echoed that view and said the law's introduction was good "but there is so much more to this problem that we've got".

A series of failures led to her brother losing his life, she said, but hoped their campaigning would now regulate the sale of knives and ban the ninja sword that was used to kill him.

"They should never have been available," Ms Kanda said.

"I believe it is a solid first step but I'm also aware there is so much more to this problem that we've got.. but it is a first step."

It was wrong for the weapons to be so easily available to young people and she said she was glad retailers would be held to account now as well.

"Ronan would be happy that his name and his legacy was being used to prevent future tragedies like his, because he was just such a selfless boy and an amazing person and he deserves to have a legacy," she said.

"We don't want other families to go through this. It's so painful and if we can prevent others going through this, then that's what we want."

The BBC was able to buy four knives from the UK websites of online retailers a month after the zombie knife ban was brought in last year