Dad of stabbed Milton Keynes teen continues bleed kit roll-out

Jay Fathers' family have been supporting the roll-out of bleed control kits

The father of a murdered teenager has vowed to continue campaigning to save other young people on what would have been his son's 21st birthday.

Jason Fathers' son Jay was 18 when he was stabbed to death at a New Year's Eve party in 2021 in Milton Keynes.

Mr Fathers said funding bleed control kits was his son's legacy and he had helped distribute nearly 100 of them so far across the city.

"I think Jay would be very proud of us," he said.

Callum Aylett, 22, was jailed for a minimum of 28 years for the New Year's Day murder, which was the culmination of a dispute with his neighbours.

The court heard Jay Fathers had not been involved in the dispute but had been visiting his friends when he was attacked.

Jay Fathers died in 2021 after being stabbed while at a New Year's Eve party with friends

Tuesday would have been Jay's 21st birthday and his father said the family had been driven by keeping his legacy alive.

They began working with charity Citizen Aid to distribute bleed control kids in the city.

The specialist first aid kits are accessible to the public and include items such as a tourniquet, bandages and a foil blanket.

Mr Fathers said: "These kits can save lives, they've been proven to save lives. The emergency services can take a long time to get to an incident. A member of the public can access [the kit] quickly, put pressure on wounds and stop them from bleeding to death.

Bleed control kits are a specialised first aid kit that can help with extreme bleeding

"We're still devastated three years on that Jay was taken, but we're keeping his memory and legacy alive by stopping other families going through what we're going and have been through.

"I think Jay would be very proud of us and looking down on us now... that's what drives me and keeps me going."

Debbie MacColl, from West Northamptonshire Council, said teaching people how to use bleed control kits would make communities safer

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Northamptonshire, a council has started offering "critical bleed training" to members of the public so they can use the kits in an emergency.

Many have been donated by charity Off The Streets.

Debbie MacColl, from West Northamptonshire Council, said it was vital that people knew where they were and how to use them.

"People have critical bleed for many reasons not just knife crime - it could be a car accident. So the more people we've got trained up in the general public and who know where to find the kits, the safer we'll all be," she said.