Ben Kinsella's death: Enough is Enough, say Lib Dems (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

Ben Kinsella's death: Enough is Enough, say Lib Dems

July 2, 2008 11:15 AM

Ben Kinsella's death: enough is enough

Islington Liberal Democrats have joined thousands of residents in paying tribute to Ben Kinsella, and calling for an end to knife violence on our streets.

Councillors Stefan Kasprzyk, Terry Stacy and Ursula Woolley laid flowers yesterday at the scene of the stabbing in North Road and visited Holloway School.

Councillor Terry Stacy met students from Holloway School and local resident Linda Robson this lunchtime when they came to Islington Town Hall. He then joined the hundreds of young people and residents on their march to North Road.

Speaking from the march in memory of Ben Kinsella following his fatal stabbing on York Way in Islington, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader of the Council, Terry Stacy, said:

"Yesterday's outpouring of emotion when hundreds of people including Islington's mayor and Members of the Council's Executive laid flowers for Ben showed the strength of feeling about another senseless killing on our streets.

"As today's massive show of support for Ben and his family made so movingly clear, we must wake up to the fact that anyone carrying a knife is a potential killer.

"I met students from Holloway School this morning and promised to meet the Borough Police Commander later this week to see what more can be done to try and rid the streets of Islington of knives.

"The Leaders of Islington and Camden Councils have also invited the young people into the Town Hall next week to see what measures we can take together to try and stamp out the scourge of knife crime from our streets. Enough is enough."

The council has recently paid for new hand-held knife wands for the local police teams to use when they are out and about. The Council will also be taking tough action against any licensees who are found to have flouted the rules by serving underage drinkers.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Islington South & Finsbury, Bridget Fox, added

"This is a tragedy. Islington has lost another dearly-loved boy. The reaction to Ben's death shows how well-known and well-loved he and his family are in our community. If the Kinsella family's star quality leads people to lay down the knives, then some good may yet come from this horror.

"Liberal Democrats have long called on the government to send out a clear message and raise the sentence for carrying a knife. That action is now long overdue."

And she called for anyone who knows anything about Ben's murder or other knife crime to pick up the phone and tell the police.

"People out there know who is selling the knives, who is carrying them and who is using them. It's time to take a stand. Make the call, and help end knife crime on our streets."