Bridie Witton reports for News Shopper:
Selected quotes from the article:
Lewisham mayor Damien Egan has slammed the Government’s latest knife crime initiative to brand chicken shop take away boxes with #knifefree as “wrong.”
The boxes will replace packaging in chains such as Morley’s, Chicken Cottage and Dixy Chicken and will be printed with real stories from young people who have chosen to stop carrying knives.
Mayor Egan said: “It’s wrong for the government to spend money on gimmicks when youth services and police funding has been cut so deeply.
“Yesterday I visited a Youth First club funded by Lewisham Council. With our support, Youth First run 14 youth centres across Lewisham, reaching over 11,000 young people. I am proud that we provide so many Lewisham children, from across our community, a safe space to play and learn.
“To tackle knife crime and youth violence, the government urgently need to reinvest in local government instead of spending money on gimmicks,” he added.