Mayor meets knife attack families

Mr Johnson is holding a series of "informative" meetings on this subject

Mayor Boris Johnson has met families of two teenagers murdered in London at a conference organised to help him "shape" his strategy on youth violence.

Relatives of Robert Knox, who died in Sidcup in May, and Nassirudeen Osawe, killed in Islington last November, were among those attending the seminar.

The underlying causes of violence and possible measures which can keep people safe were among the issues discussed.

This year 26 teenagers have died in London after being shot or stabbed.

The event was attended by a member of the casualty department at King's College Hospital and representatives from the youth organisations Building Bridges and Youth Enlightenment.

Olympic volunteers

School exclusions, peer pressure and gang membership were given as some of the underlying causes for crime among young people.

Anti-gang initiatives and strong family relationships were considered as ways which might keep young people safe and deter them from troublemaking.

I won't try and pretend for a minute that I have all the answers Boris Johnson

And there were suggestions that young people should be encouraged to volunteer to help at London's Olympics in 2012, as well as being given more to do on weekend evenings to keep them occupied.

"Everybody, from families who have sadly lost their loved ones, to the doctors treating knife wounds and the magistrates prosecuting offenders, has something important to share," Mr Johnson said in a statement.

"I won't try and pretend for a minute that I have all the answers."

He described the reduction of youth violence as "a mammoth task that will take the full commitment of many of us working tirelessly together".

The mayor added: "We need to step up our policing operations, but just as importantly we need to reach out to disengaged young people and give them the opportunities and motivation to steer clear of trouble and reach their full potential."

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