Tess Kingma, a 30 year old London commuter, has told City News the terrifying moment she came face to face with a group of knife wielding teenagers on her commute home.
The incident occurred during the evening rush hour on the Northern line, as passengers disembarked at Balham tube station.
A drawn knife Source: AP
“I was the first one off.. I saw people running down the escalators to get off the tube. When I turned around I was face to face with a guy carrying a very, very big knife.”
The commuter described the teenager as wearing a puffer jacket and a balaclava. She believes the individual was part of a larger group of youths.
She said the incident was even more terrifying because of the footwear she was wearing.
“I think as a woman in general you always have to be alert and aware of your surroundings. I was wearing heeled boots from work. My thought afterwards was maybe I could have run faster if I was wearing different shoes.”
“That shouldn’t be something I need to think about when I put my shoes on in the morning.”
Today Justice Secretary David Lammy has unveiled new targeted plans for every child caught carrying a knife in England and Wales. The mandatory plans are aimed to stop reoffending and protect the public.
The plans include:
• Every child caught carrying a knife in England and Wales will be given a targeted plan to stop them reoffending
• £320 million invested into Youth Justice Services to turn young people away from a life of crime
• Delivering on Government’s commitment to halve knife crime within a decade and make streets safer as part of its Plan for Change
Under the new plans police will refer every child knife possession case to the Youth Justice Services, which consists of localised teams focusing on health, education and the community. The aim is they will be able to intensively monitor an individual child’s progress and if they are still deemed a risk to the public, police will immediately be informed and further action taken.
The plans focus around rehabilitation in youths, to address the root causes of a child’s offending, such as childhood trauma or potential exploitation by criminal gangs.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy – AP Photo/Jon Super
Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy said:
“Every life lost to knife crime is an unmitigated tragedy. With early targeted action, we can put children on the right path to a positive future and stop them falling into a toxic cycle of reoffending.
“Our reforms will give local services the security they need to help more young people and make our streets safer for everyone.”
The commuter we spoke to says she emailed TFL but has still not received a response about the incident.
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Headline“I turned around and was face to face with a very, very big knife”
Short HeadlineThe government announce new focus on rehabilitation for youth knife crime
StandfirstAs reforms to the treatment of youth knife crime are announced, a commuter tells City News about her knife scare
Tess Kingma, a 30 year old London commuter, has told City News the terrifying moment she came face to face with a group of knife wielding teenagers on her commute home.
The incident occurred during the evening rush hour on the Northern line, as passengers disembarked at Balham tube station.
A drawn knife Source: AP
“I was the first one off.. I saw people running down the escalators to get off the tube. When I turned around I was face to face with a guy carrying a very, very big knife.”
The commuter described the teenager as wearing a puffer jacket and a balaclava. She believes the individual was part of a larger group of youths.
She said the incident was even more terrifying because of the footwear she was wearing.
“I think as a woman in general you always have to be alert and aware of your surroundings. I was wearing heeled boots from work. My thought afterwards was maybe I could have run faster if I was wearing different shoes.”
“That shouldn’t be something I need to think about when I put my shoes on in the morning.”
Today Justice Secretary David Lammy has unveiled new targeted plans for every child caught carrying a knife in England and Wales. The mandatory plans are aimed to stop reoffending and protect the public.
The plans include:
• Every child caught carrying a knife in England and Wales will be given a targeted plan to stop them reoffending
• £320 million invested into Youth Justice Services to turn young people away from a life of crime
• Delivering on Government’s commitment to halve knife crime within a decade and make streets safer as part of its Plan for Change
Under the new plans police will refer every child knife possession case to the Youth Justice Services, which consists of localised teams focusing on health, education and the community. The aim is they will be able to intensively monitor an individual child’s progress and if they are still deemed a risk to the public, police will immediately be informed and further action taken.
The plans focus around rehabilitation in youths, to address the root causes of a child’s offending, such as childhood trauma or potential exploitation by criminal gangs.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy – AP Photo/Jon Super
Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy said:
“Every life lost to knife crime is an unmitigated tragedy. With early targeted action, we can put children on the right path to a positive future and stop them falling into a toxic cycle of reoffending.
“Our reforms will give local services the security they need to help more young people and make our streets safer for everyone.”
The commuter we spoke to says she emailed TFL but has still not received a response about the incident.
Chan was convicted earlier today at Wood Green Crown Court after pleading guilty to 56 charges including sexual assault and making indecent images of children.
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