Election 2019: 'Luton's knife problem puts lives at stake'
A youth worker in Luton has called on politicians to "bring people together" and find solutions to knife crime in the town.
Bedfordshire Police said there had been about 300 knife-related incidents in Luton in the first 11 months of 2019.
Luke Larner, who mentors teenagers to keep them away from crime, said he has seen dried blood on the pavement and that daily incidents had become "normal" in the town.
He said: "When there's kids as young as 11 carrying knives, we can't just start blaming those kids, we need to ask bigger questions of society and we need to think more long-term about finding solutions that respect the individuals whose lives are at stake."