The stabbing and subsequent death of a fifteen year old boy in Sheffield is a cause of sorrow for the family. It is also deeply shocking for the community and city. It is the latest in a number of troubling incidents involving knives.

I know the police are doing everything they can to find those responsible, and it would be wrong to comment further.  But it does raise the wider question of what is happening and what can be done.

We know that this epidemic of knife incidents is not unique to Sheffield or the country, and no one really understand why it has been happening.

But this is small comfort. It does not make us any less anxious. On the contrary, if we don’t understand why something is happening, we are likely to be more concerned, not less.

The question then is what can we do to prevent further incidents?

I am sure the response has to take many forms. Yes, we may need more stop and search. There will be community support for this provided it is done proportionately and fairly.

Yes, we need appropriate sentences that will have a deterrent effect.

Yes, we need more activities for young people that divert them away from involvement in anti-social behaviour or crime. I will support as far as I can through my small grants scheme any group that provides youth activities, and I urge them to get in touch.

But we also need to ensure that our young people understand the risks they run by carrying blades.

The truth is that carrying a knife offers no protection and anyone who does is more likely to become a victim themselves.

I want schools to help and I would like to make an offer to them.

I will make available to any school a short course called You’re Only Young Once (YOYO) that raises these issues but in an engaging way.

Young people learn media skills – making podcasts and short videos, researching and writing short news items, and so on. The topics they research include the temptations and dangers of carrying knives and getting involved in gangs. They are not talked at but research for themselves.

This is just one contribution to making our city a safe place. I urge schools to take it up.