Ex-gang members, boxers and firefighters coming together to tackle knife-crime epidemic plaguing the region

Since the last fatal stabbing happened in the Black Country – taking the life of 15-year-old Isaac Brown who was stabbed to death in West Bromwich – concerns continue to brew in the community as residents are kept on-edge in their own streets never knowing where the next attack will come from.

As well as Isaac, 16-year-old Terrell Marshall-Williams lost his life after being stabbed at least eight times, and 17-year-old Harleigh Hepworth was knifed to death in broad daylight at Wolverhampton's West Park.

The ever-present issue has led to parents fearing for their children's lives, who claim they're now unable to let their kids go outside and enjoy their younger years.

And now, a team led by Tettenhall Fire Station's Watch Commander Craig Tipton, 42, will host an anti-knife crime event in Cannock this weekend, and Wolverhampton 'in the next six weeks'.

Craig started the campaign just under a year ago after noticing the issues worsen, hosting his first event in Lichfield with hardened former gang members aiming to remind teenagers of the dangers that a life of crime offers.

Due to the scheme's popularity he was then asked by West Midlands Fire Service to tour the campaign across the region to provide a pillar of support for locals affected by the current knife-crime epidemic.