Chorley boxer Stuart Maddox to visit Houses of Parliament to spread his anti-knife crime campaign message

Stuart Maddox is set to meet with MPs at the House of Commons to discuss the knife crime epidemic hitting Lancashire and the wider country.

It forms part of the boxer’s campaign with The Safety Guide Foundation, a community interest company (CIC) providing guidance on a number of issues – including anti-social behaviour, bullying, and knife crime – through education.

So far his work has seen him visits schools across Lancashire and Greater Manchester, including St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School in Preston in the last fortnight.

Stu, from Chorley, explained: “You can see the seriousness in the students’ faces what we were explaining about carrying knives and it being cowardly and how you’re not a ‘grass’ to inform on someone with a knife.

“I’ve had 16 and 17-year-olds telling us about the dangers in their life that they’ve come across, and how our talks are inspiring them to change.”

It comes after Lancashire Police enforced Section 60 stop and search powers in Preston and Penwortham last month due to the stabbing of s 14-year-old boy in the city and a group of people in the town carrying a baseball bat, knife and metal bar.

Now Stu, who is Safety Guide’s Knife Crime Campaign Manager, is heading to Parliament next Thursday to meet with David Amess MP to discuss the campaign on a national level.

He is also meeting with Liverpool MP Louise Ellman next week in the city.

Stu, 39, said: “We believe we can help the government help with this problem.

“We want to make a difference. Prevention is better than the cure.

“It’s been a long year and a tough few months really. I have been losing sleep over this every time there’s an incident.

"I am tagged on it on Facebook and asked to help. There’s only so much you can do. We’re also funding everything off our own backs at the moment.

“The kids are the future - but what will the future look like if this carries on? You are getting less and less shocked by stabbings. We are more shocked when there’s a good few days without an incident.

“We aren’t the police, so we openly ask kids if they are or have been carrying. We explain that it might make them feel safe but when you lose your cool and in the situation you are more likely to lash out and use the weapon. At that point you can’t take it back.”

A spokesman for David Amess’ office said Mr Amess is looking forward to hearing about Stuart’s campaign when he visits Parliament a week on Thursday.