A HARROW politician has backed the Harrow Times’s campaign against teenage knife crime in the borough.

The Don't Carry, Don't Kill drive was launched today in a fightback against an increase in gang crime that is blighting Harrow and leading to violent stabbings and attacks.

As part of the campaign, we are backing Harrow East MP Bob Blackman's call to extend new sentencing powers for a six-month mandatory jail sentence for those caught with a knife to under-18s.

Earlier this month David Cameron backed calls to introduce the six-month jail sentence for people carrying knives after Mr Blackman put the question to him at Prime Minister's Questions.

Mr Blackman highlighted two stabbings that happened within a fortnight around the same place in Harrow Weald.

On Sunday, July 5, the High Road was closed off as the stabbing of a 16-year-old was investigated, who police believe received "puncture wounds" from a broken bottle.

Nine days earlier, on Friday, June 24, a 15-year-old was also stabbed during a fight with up to 15 teenagers in the same area.

Traders and residents have since described their fear of gangs on the high street and the detrimental effect on their businesses.

Mr Blackman said: “I greatly welcome the Don’t Carry, Don’t Kill campaign being launched by the Harrow Times.

“Anyone caught with a knife should receive a custodial sentence and this should be extended to under-16s as many of them are guilty of carrying knives.

“This is a clear message to people who carry knives to stop but also to parents to help their children keep out of gangs and away from carrying knives.”

Mr Blackman highlighted the fatal stabbing of Somali teenager Hassan Kul Hawadleh, 19, at the Total petrol station, in Wealdstone, in 2009.

He said: “This type of violence in this area goes back to 2009 with the murder of a teenager at the Total petrol station in Wealdstone.

“There was a lot of gang violence in the area at the time and police stepped up their activities around the Wealdstone area and did a great job.

“Unfortunately, this pushed the violence out of the area and further up the road towards Harrow Weald.

“The key now is to prevent this type of gang culture and knife crime.

"It’s the carrot and stick approach where we have to make sure we are tough and punish the people who carry knives but at the same time reach out to teenagers to encourage them not to do it in the first place.

"What is evident is we need to be break the back of gang culture.

“A lot of teenagers carry knives for self-protection and unless there are tough measures to combat this we will lose the opportunity to defeat knife crime in the area.”