by Luke Hollands

The father of a murdered Kent teenager has welcomed the Government's decision to extend the minimum sentence for those committing murder with a knife.

Colin Knox, 57, of Empire Walk, Greenhithe, lost his son, Rob, when he was stabbed to death outside a Sidcup bar in 2008.

He welcomed new sentencing laws brought in on Tuesday which will see jail terms for knife murderers increased from 15 years to 25 years.

He said: "I certainly welcomed the decision when it was announced by the Justice Secretary Jack Straw. I hope it sends out a very strong message to those who would be knife carriers. Hopefully this news will filter through to them.

"I lost my son when he was stabbed and that leaves behind total devastation for family and friends. I relive the horror on a daily basis and it's something I wouldn't wish on anyone. To lose one of your children is the most awful thing to happen in the world.

"It's a campaign I'm on to rid our streets of knife carriers. I would like to see a mandatory sentence for anyone caught carrying a knife. There's no need for carrying a one - if you're carrying a knife there's every possibility you will use it or if you're worried about it and drop it, it could be used against you.

"Knives are an awful thing and they shouldn't be out there, we should be doing everything we can to rid our streets of knife carriers."

Mr Knox has met the prime minister and home secretary to discuss his idea to take knives and the people who carry them off the streets.

He also worked with movie legend Ray Winstone to produce a film about the problem of knife crime and liaises closely with Charlton Athletic’s campaign against street violence.

Rob was 18 when he was stabbed outside a bar in Sidcup in May 2008. He lived in Maidstone Road, between Swanley and Foots Cray.

He was born in Chatham and lived in Birch Drive, Lordswood, attending Swingate infant school nearby, before the family moved to Chislehurst.