Father of murdered teen welcomes stab wound kit

Martin Cosser said the last two months without his son Charlie have been "hell"

The father of a teenage boy who was stabbed to death has welcomed the installation of a new stab wound treatment kit.

Charlie Cosser, 17, from Milford near Godalming, Surrey, was murdered in July near Horsham, West Sussex.

On Tuesday, Martin Cosser attended the kit's installation in Crawley town centre.

It was funded by Sussex Police and organised by charity Project Youth, whose co-founder Carl Scott is a reformed gang member.

In July, a 16-year-old boy from Chessington, Surrey, pleaded guilty to Charlie's murder. He is due to be sentenced in October.

Mr Cosser told BBC Radio Sussex that the months since Charlie died have been "hell".

"It's been a real rollercoaster of trauma primarily, grief but sadness, denial, feelings of guilt," he said.

Prior to switching off his life support machine in critical care, Mr Cosser promised his son he would campaign against knife crime.

"I would talk to schools, colleges, young groups of people about the impacts on families like ours," he said.

Mr Cosser added that knife crime "destroys families like ours".

The bleed control kits includes medical apparatus which could help stab wounds

Project Youth holds workshops in schools on gangs and county lines.

Mr Scott, who co-founded the charity, said he was involved in gang culture since the age of 13 before turning to campaigning.

"Through that lifestyle I was stabbed myself a few times. My best friend died in my arms from a stab wound to the heart," he said.

He said he had met many parents who have had to "bury their children" because of similar incidents.

"I want to try and stop it so no other parents have to go through this," he added.

Kits have also been installed in Hastings, Bexhill-on-Sea, and Worthing. Four more are planned for East Sussex.

They include medical apparatus such as tourniquets, gauzes and chest seals.

Listen to Martin Cosser's interview on BBC Sounds