As it happened: Day of live coverage on knife crime

1. Man, 30, dies after St Pauls stabbing
2. It comes after an open letter is published by organisations across the city
3. Mother checks her teenage son's bags for weapons and enforces a curfew
4. Petition calls for compulsory bleed kit training in schools
5. Deputy mayor says education holds the key to solving knife crime
6. 'Pride and egos' are to blame for knife crime, says local campaigner
7. In 18 days, three teenagers died: Max Dixon, Mason Rist and Darrian Williams

Watch full knife crime debate on iPlayer

Our live coverage has now ended, thank you for visiting our blog throughout today.

You can still watch the full Points West programme on iPlayer.

'Young people must be uplifted'

Serena said: "We need to think about ideas on how we can actually uplift young people.

"Get them into places like this to talk about how they feel.

"It is great hearing it from the police and school teachers, but it is also good to hear it from people like me who can actually speak because we know what it is like.

"We are losing young people, our friends at such young ages."

'Toxic masculinity' partly behind knife crime

Asked if it was just boys involved in knife crime, Serena said: "I feel like it is not just a case of boys doing it.

"But I feel like where there is a lot of toxic masculinity going on, and a lot of people going against people, I think that might be the reason why. But I don't know why."

'Eddie's death pushed me to help others'

BBC

Our last word goes to Serena Wiebe, a friend of Eddie Kinuthia, who died in July 2023, and a mentor at Empire Fighting Chance.

She said: "It [Eddie's death] affected me in a negative way but if anything it gave me more of a push, because I feel like when things like this happens, a lot of people tend to go down the wrong path.

"What I wanted to do - what I thought Eddie would have wanted me to do - was try and save someone else that could have been in the same situation.

"My motivation was to use my pain to help other people."

'Young people should feel safe'

Mark Runacres said: "We need to make young people feel safe, and that they don't need to feel like they need to carry a knife to feel safe.

"We can keep them safe as the police, communities and as society. That is what we should aspire to achieve."

'Challenging world for children'

BBC

Victoria Boomer-Clark, executive principal at Oasis Academy John Williams, told BBC Points West during tonight's debate that there are no knives at her school.

But she added: "The world our children are growing up in is a challenging, complex world. We now need to go one step further.

"We have got a piece of work on how to support our young people when they are facing challenges".

'It's a Bristol issue'

BBC

Martin Bisp, co-founder and CEO of Empire Fighting Chance, said: "Three out of the four kids who died used our gym.

"It's a Bristol issue, the whole city needs to come together."

Kids 'buying knives online'

Mark Runacres, Bristol Commander at Avon and Somerset Police, told tonight's special edition of Points West that young people are buying knives online and "we need to disrupt that".

'Hearing the parents cry is horrific'

Speaking to emergency department healthcare workers at Southmead hospital, we hear how the impact of knife crime can spread far beyond those who are injured.

BBC

"I have dealt with between three to seven cases of knife crime injuries in the last six months," said emergency medicine consultant, Ellie Day.

"We are drilled and trained to manage injuries and patients presenting with injury like this.

"It's easier, because of our training, to keep the emotional side out of it until the patient leaves the department, however when we see family members, the human aspect comes down on you a bit like a tonne of bricks."

BBC

Anna Bell, matron of Southmead emergency department, added: "With some of the knife crime we've seen, it does take its toll on the staff.

"Particularly with younger victims of trauma - not just knife crime - there are parents and siblings.

"Hearing a mother or father cry in the way that we witness is horrific."

Bristol Commander delivers statement on St Pauls stabbing

Supt Mark Runacres spoke to gathered media near to the police cordon on Ashley Road.

Bristol murder probe launched after man dies following stabbing

Cordon lifted and roads reopen, police say

BBC

The police cordons in Ashley Road and Grosvenor Road has been lifted and the roads have been reopened after Thursday's fatal stabbing.

Special episode of Points West

Coming up at 6.30pm on BBC One you can watch a special edition of Points West, taking an in-depth look at the issue of knife crime. The episode will also be available on iPlayer.

Recap: Knife crime not confined to city centre

BBC

This map shows all the reported stabbings in Bristol so far in 2024.

The deaths of Mason Rist and Max Dixon stunned people in Knowle West, and generated national headlines.

Then there was the death of Darrian Williams, who was attacked in Easton.

The latest death happened just yesterday, when a 30-year-old man died of his wounds after being stabbed in St Pauls.

There have been other non-fatal attacks however, including two teenagers admitting being behind knifepoint robberies in the Speedwell and Whitehall areas on 30 January.

There was another stabbing in Broadmead in the city centre in early February.

What is the connection between technology and teenage violence?

BBC reporter Laura Jones walks us through some of the current theories along with expert advice for parents.

Laura Jones talks to experts about the reasons for the rise in stabbings in Bristol.

'We must connect to tackle knife crime'

Mark Runacres urged people to work together to tackle a "complex" problem.

He said: "I would urge people to connect in the ways that we all need to.

"The police, the local authority, schools, communities, families - this is a problem that is so complex and it is creating such impact that we need to tackle it together."

The press conference has now finished. But our coverage continues for the rest of the day.

Work underway into wider links of attacks

Speaking in the press conference, Mark Runacres said officers are still working to identify wider links between the fatal stabbing of Darrian Williams in Easton on 14 February, and the non-fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old in the McDonald's in the Horsefair on 8 February.

He said they are also looking into wider links of incidents that have been a part of a rise in serious violence since 2022, added "that is really key".

Latest stabbing 'not linked to others'

Mark Runacres said there is "nothing to indicate" any links in relation to this incident to other stabbings in the city.

He said: "We look at the age of the participants involved in this, 30 and 43 years old, we do not believe any links."

Increased police presence in area

Speaking in the press conference, Mark Runacres said there will be an increased police presence in the area "over the coming days".

He said: "We are fully aware the concern recent incidents in this part of the city have had on our communities, and we will work with others to make sure that appropriate support is in place for those that need it."

He added that the wider risk to the public is minimal.

Member of public 'took man to BRI'

Mark Runacres said officers arrived at the Bristol Royal Infirmary on Monday after the man was taken to the hospital by a member of the public.

He said the man died later that night, and his family is being supported by specialist family liaison officers.

Attacks in Bristol are linked, say police

The first bit of information coming back from the press conference is that Mark Runacres said several knife attacks are being linked.

He said the attack in which Darrien Williams died and the non-fatal stabbing at McDonald's in Broadmead is being linked.