'Prevent these senseless deaths': Mother of murdered Wolverhampton schoolboy Ronan Kanda reacts to government anti knife crime summit at Downing Street

Pooja Kanda sat round the cabinet table at Number 10 Downing Street with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, other parents of murdered children and actor Idris Elba.

Sir Keir held the knife summit after promising grieving families in opposition if elected his Government would make tackling knife crime a priority.

Pooja, who attended the summit with her daughter Nikitia, was impressed with the Prime Minister's attitude concerning the issue which is destroying lives across the country.

She told the Express & Star: "Sir Keir has kept his promises about knife crime. I came here a year ago with a petition for Rishi Sunak and was not invited inside.

"Within months of Sir Keir being elected into office, we've been invited to this summit and will help his ministers come up with a plan to stop these tragic deaths which keep on happening."

Labour's new law banning the online sale of zombie and Rambo knives was included in the King's Speech. However, the knife used to kill Ronan, 16, outside his home on June 29 last year was a Ninja sword.

Pooja said: "I told Sir Keir I wanted Ninja Swords included in the ban and he promised to look into it.

"I told him how easy it is for children to buy these knives, as easy as a getting a loaf of bread. He agreed we need plan, maybe a licensing system, and we will be contributing to the plan by giving advice.

"We will never forget what a wonderful child Ronan was but by campaigning and now advising the Government about how to prevent these senseless deaths we are keeping his memory alive."

After meeting Pooja earlier this year Sir Keir was so shocked by the details of Ronan's death, he used the death as an example of why action was needed on several TV shows and appearances.

One of Ronan's killers Sukhman Shergill bought the Ninja Sword online, something he did regularly, and picked it up from a Willenhall Post Office without even producing ID.

Sir Keir told the summit: "Far too many knives are too easily available, whether that's online, whether that's through the post."

"There are examples of knives "bought online being posted through without any markings, and then people picking them up without any identification, and then those knives being used. It is just too shocking - that needs to be dealt with."

Luther actor Idris Elba was also invited to the summit after campaigning with parents like Pooja to clampdown on knife crime.

He said: "We need all of these perspectives to sit around the table when you think about this. We aren't going to end knife crime. We can't, that's not realistic. But we can tackle the attributes towards it."

Pooja said: "It is great having Idris involved, he has been great for the campaign. Our MP Pat McFadden has been great since the start of all this, it was great to have him in the room.

Wolverhampton South East Labour MP Pat McFadden welcomed Pooja, her daughter and cousin to 10 Downing Street.

He said: “I want to thank Pooja and Nikita for coming to No10 to help launch the new effort to tackle knife crime.

“At the meeting they spoke powerfully as they told Keir Starmer about Ronan’s story."

He added: “The Prime Minister affirmed his determination to take forward legislation that we promised to get weapons off the streets.”