Fire station bleed kits in memory of murdered teen

Bleed kits will be installed at every fire station in Essex in memory of a murdered teenager, his grandmother has announced.

Liam Taylor, 19, was stabbed outside the Rose and Crown pub in Writtle near Chelmsford on 31 January 2020.

Julie Taylor says the funding, to get the kits to all 50 fire stations in the county, came through this week in time for the sixth anniversary of Liam's death.

"[It's] just super amazing and I'm so grateful," she told BBC Essex presenter Ben Fryer.

In August 2021, three men were jailed at Chelmsford Crown Court for the attack.

Julie later set up The Liam Taylor Legacy and her foundation has donated 675 bleed kits to groups and venues.

She has been celebrated for her work, which has included being awarded a British Empire Medal and a Points of Light prize from the prime minister.

Julie believes 16 people have been helped by 15 of her kits so far, and that four of those incidents "definitely would have been fatal" without the equipment.

Each one contains trauma dressings, chest seals, bandages, a tourniquet, gloves, scissors, a foil blanket, and a mouthguard for CPR.

This week, crime data published by the Office for National Statistics revealed a 23% year-on-year drop in the number of people killed with knives.

Julie believes the tide is turning.

"So many charities and organisations are working, and luckily we're all working side by side with each other and we've all got the same mission now," she said.

Bleed kits are already in place at Basildon, Chelmsford, Colchester and Southend fire stations - and were more recently brought to Witham and Burnham-on-Crouch.

An Essex fire service spokesperson said it was "delighted" to be working with Julie in an effort to ensure every site was kitted out.

"These kits give both firefighters and members of the public access to vital equipment that can save lives in the critical first minutes," they said.

Essex County Council provided the funding for the latest kits and the authority's deputy leader, Conservative Louise McKinlay, praised Julie's efforts.

"When she says she 'wants to make a difference' when she says that 'this is about creating that legacy in Liam's name', she genuinely means it," said McKinlay.

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