Life-saving bleed control kits should be in venues all around Milton Keynes to help victims of stabbing, say councillors

Local Conservative councillors are calling for bleed control kits to be placed in venues all over MK to help reduce deaths from stabbing.

Their move follows the recent double stabbing at Atesh car and restaurant, where one young man lost his life.

The stab kits cost £96 each. They contain pressure bandages, tourniquets, a chest seal dressing and other medical equipment that can be used by any member of the public to stop someone from literally bleeding to death.

As a result of a campaign launched by the family of Jay Fathers, an 18-year-old MK man who was a victim of knife-crime, 10 Milton Keynes pubs have already agreed to house bleed control kits.

Jay's family have launched a fundraising campaign to but more, saying they would like to see them in easily accessible locations all over the city.

This week Conservative councillors revealed they want Milton Keynes Council to make it mandatory through the licensing process for all pubs and clubs to have bleed control kits on their premises.

They want the council's licensing department to update its current policy to include the kits in the provision of the licence.

A Tory spokesman siad: "MK Council cannot stop knife crime altogether, but it can help ensure there are tools available to try and save lives."

He added: "More generally, the violent crime being experienced in Milton Keynes is deeply concerning and Conservative Cllrs are working closely with the Police and Crime Commissioner to proactively implement schemes to reduce such crimes."

Cllr Keith McLean, Chair of Licensing at MK Council, said: “The benefits of these kits are huge and life-saving. It is incredibly sad that another young person has lost their life over the festive period and we must do all we can to reduce knife crime, but also have measures in place to save lives when it happens.

"We know that bleeding reduction in the first few minutes to a victim of knife crime can mean life or death for that person so introducing them into CMK would be a great initiative.

"I will ask Licensing officers to investigate how such an initiative can be formally introduced.”

Shazna Muzammil is a volunteer with the Milton Keynes Youth Offending Team and St John's Ambulance. She said: "“These kits buy minutes so that victims can receive the treatment they need from paramedics. This isn’t going to stop knife crime, but it could save lives and there is nothing more valuable than that.”

The family of stab victim Jay Fathers believe his life may have been saved has a bleed control kit been available..

Jay was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife by 21-year-old Callum Aylett after he tried to protect his friends from getting injured at a New Year's party at a Stantonbury house.

His dad Jason said: "I'd like to see them all over Milton Keynes, in places where people know they can run to immediately if someone is stabbed.

"People who carry knives need to realise the consequences of what can happen. I lost my son and nothing will bring him back. But hopefully our loss and his name will help save more lives."