Footballers join anti-knife crime campaign

[19 August 2008]

David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand and David James have come together to launch an anti-knife campaign called 'It Doesn't Have to Happen'.

David Beckham told a news conference: "We can help people, we can help youngsters because we've got a voice and we've got a voice that kids listen to. And it's so important that we get involved in this, it's so important that things can change, because no-one wants to pack their children off to school in the morning and then never see them again."

The football players met Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and senior police officers before their match with the Czech Republic. According to the government, more than 2,500 arrests have been made and 1,600 knives have been seized since June. Furthermore, more than 55,000 people have been stopped and searched under new measures.

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