Stab victim's parents hope kit will save lives

Councillors and the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner joined Simon Brown (right) at the kit's installation

The first of 10 potentially life-saving bleed kits has been installed in a city, as part of an initiative by a murdered teenager's parents.

Connor Brown died in a knife attack in Sunderland in 2019, and his parents Tanya and Simon Brown set up a trust in his name.

This was instrumental in bringing the Knife Angel - a sculpture made up of 100,000 seized blades and knives - to the city last year.

Fundraising events took place during the visit, and £6,000 has now been used to purchase the kit designed to help save the life of a stabbing victim, with Mr Brown saying he hoped it would help people feel "safer".

The first kit is situated near Tesco at Roker Retail Park, with the remaining nine to be installed throughout the city centre in the coming months.

All contain tourniquets, gels and other safety items, designed to stem catastrophic bleeding until the emergency services arrive.

Connor Brown was fatally wounded as he tried to diffuse an argument outside a pub

Mr Brown said: "In the first moments of any incident, speed is vital to getting the patient the assistance they need and this is where the bleed kits come into their own.

"Doing nothing, a patient has less chance of survival but using the kit gives anyone a fighting chance before paramedics get to the scene.

"The more of these kits we get out in our city, the safer people will hopefully feel."

Sunderland City Council deputy leader Kelly Chequer said: "While I very much hope that they will never be needed, it's reassuring to know that they will be there should the need ever arise.

"Having one to hand could make all the difference in the event of an emergency. It's great to have this lasting great legacy from the Knife Angel's visit."

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