'Another young life lost to knife crime - the voices of our community have been ignored for too long'

A COMMUNITY leader in Nottingham says concerns around knife crime “have been ignored for too long” following the fatal stabbing of a man in his 20s in broad daylight.

- By GEORGE PALMER-SOADY

The “senseless” death of a 20-year-old has sparked calls for more funding to be allocated to youth charities and services in the city, who work to prevent similar tragedies taking place.

Police were called to Abbotsford Drive in St Ann's at 12.50pm on Monday morning after a young man was found with stab wounds that proved to be fatal. He was later named as Marley Gascoine.

Among those who knew the 20-year-old was Marcellus Baz, the founder and chief executive of Switch Up. The youth organisation was designed to deter young people away from crime and violence and put them on the right track in life and Mr Gascoine previously received support from the charity.

“I am absolutely devastated to hear the news of another young life lost to knife crime - a young man I had worked with and whose family I know personally,’ Mr Baz told the Post.

“My heart and deepest condolences go out to his loved ones and to the wider St Ann’s community who are grieving this senseless tragedy. It is heartbreaking to know that his life was taken in broad daylight, something we must never become desensitised to.”