AN EX-SECURITY guard turned youth mentor is calling for more knife crime education and tougher regulation on blades.

Marc Smith worked in the security industry in Bournemouth town centre for 30 years before focusing his attention on helping young people.

He is now advocating on more education around knife crime after noticing offenders are getting younger.

“Most of the kids I speak to do not see it as a problem,” said Marc.

“They laugh about it, they joke about it, like it is a trendy thing to do.”

He added: “Another big thing if you carry a knife it seems to be seen to carry respect or be cool.

“We have to as adults express to people that this is not cool you do not get respect for carrying a knife which could potentially end someone’s life.”

Marc said that children carrying knives do not understand the repercussions of what happens when they use it.

“They do not understand the physiological hurt and pain it causes the family members, the friends of the person that has been stabbed.

“And the mental trauma it will cause you, the person that carries out the attack after you’ve done it.

“If that person was to die or be severely injured for the rest of their lives or be dismembered, the mental trauma it will have on you as you get older is huge.”

He added that some people carry weapons for self defence because they do not feel confident in their skills.

"I feel that as time goes on, as the problem gets bigger, and the more situations that occur, the more people will carry knives as self-defence."

He added: "Why are they not spending more time and resources talking about this in schools?"

Marc also said he believes blades and sharp instruments are too easy to purchase from sops and online and calls for tougher regulation.

He works with Henry Brown Youth Club, in West Howe, using boxing as a tool to encourage young people away from knife crime.