Bleed control kits to be installed in region's stations

Laura Hughes (left) said she wanted to teach people what to do "to stop a person from bleeding to death"

Specialist kits designed to save the lives of stab victims are to be installed at a region's railway stations as part of a campaign against knife crime.

The kits, which are intended to control bleeding, are to be put in all Merseyrail stations as a result of work by Laura Hughes, whose brother Colin McGinty was murdered in 2001.

Ms Hughes, who works with campaigners Knowknifecrime and KnifeSavers, said she wanted to teach "the dangers of carrying a knife" and "what to do... to stop a person from bleeding to death".

Merseyrail's chief commercial officer Suzanne Grant said the organisation wanted want to "play our part" in tackling knife crime.

The Bleed Control Kits have been produced by KnifeSavers, a not-for-profit UK-wide programme that aims to help people to deal with bleeding caused by knife injuries.

Designed to be intuitive

Founder Nikhil Misra said he had seen "too many people injured because of knives" during his work at the trauma unit at Aintree University Hospital and had wanted to use his "knowledge and skills" to show people "how to control bleeding outside of a hospital".

He said the kits included a special gauze which makes blood clot faster, elasticated pressure dressings and a tourniquet and were designed to be intuitive to use.

He added that the Knifesavers app also offered training, explained how to use the kits and included information about demonstrations of the packs at Merseyrail stations.

The packs were installed at key tourist locations in Liverpool following the murder of 12-year-old Ava White in November 2021.

Her family set up The Ava White Foundation in the wake of her death and saw 37 bleed kits installed in parish centres across Liverpool City Region in 2023.

Merseyrail said they will be installed in the railway stations alongside defibrillators and all staff will be trained how to use them by mid-July.

Ms Grant said the operator was "very much aware knife crime is increasing nationally and we want to play our part in tackling that".