People are campaigning to update knife crime laws after a 20-year-old was fatally stabbed in an underground station.

Campaigners are hoping to introduce a statutory minimum sentence for those found carrying a knife, following the death of Tashan Daniel, 20, who was fatally stabbed in Hillingdon Station on September 24 while he was on his way to watch Arsenal play Nottingham Forest.

Mr Daniel purchased a ticket for the football game as a birthday present to himself, after he turned 20 on September 22. While he was excited to see the game, he was instead stabbed in what the Metropolitan Police have called an “unprovoked attack”.

Harrow Times:

The campaigners hope that the minimum sentence imposed would be the same as the five-year minimum sentence issued for firearm carriers over 18.

Currently the minimum sentence for carrying a knife is 4 months if aged between 16 to 18, and six months if aged over 18.

The minimum sentence for knife homicides is 25 years, which the campaigners are hoping will become equal to the gun homicide minimum sentence of 30 years.

Nick Marr, a cousin of Tashan, is a former police officer and one of the members running the campaign. He believes that people have become “desensitised” to knife crime and that politicians, authorities and regular people need to refocus and discuss how to best tackle it.

He said: “We held a vigil at Hillingdon Station where around 1,000 of us showed up. I made a really passionate speech there after seeing is body, and I said, ‘enough is enough’ and the speech really resonated with the crowd.

“We want to raise awareness of knife crime and push legislation. Our message is to get the streets safe, because whatever the authorities are doing now - it’s not working. Politicians have gotten their eye off the ball.

“I’m hoping that good can come out of it. We need to concentrate, with the right people to get people to focus on solutions. There should be dramatic action, otherwise we’ll get to the point where we’re too scared to go on the tube.

After the incident, Boris Johnson visited and spoke with the family to discuss knife crime, where he admitted there’s been a huge increase since he was Mayor.

Other aims for the campaign include improved policing powers to stop and search, a knife carrier register and more teams with mobile body scanners between school gates, train stations and night stops.

In reference to his past as a police officer, he said: “We used to do knife arch campaigns which you would almost definitely find knives when scanning. It created a fear for school kids to carry a knife.”

Harrow Times:

Tashan Daniel was very into his athletics as his coach said he could be "running for Britain".

He added: “Everything needs to be shaken up – but of course these are just ideas. Let us discuss this and have a debate.”

To push this campaign, a march ‘to stop knife crime’ will be held on December 7 starting at Marble Arch 12pm and ending at Trafalgar Square.

At Trafalgar Square, speakers will be gathered around to talk about Mr Daniel, and their mission to stop knife crime.

Mr Marr is hoping to launch a charity in memory of Tashan to help with any knife crime issues.

Mr Daniel was descried as somebody who the family was very proud of, as he was headed to train for the Olympics and was generally inspirational.

A 17-year-old cadet from Harrow tried to bravely save Mr Daniel after he was stabbed.

To join the march, visit the event page here, and to sign the petition for knife crime sentencing, visit here.