Special Report: “We Buried Our Sons. Now Hear Us.” Bereaved Mothers And Campaigners Demand Action on Knife Crime at City Hall.

Grieving mothers who have buried their sons because of knife crime were finally invited inside City Hall on Tuesday 16 December to speak, not protest, and to confront those in power with the devastating reality they live with every single day.

This was not another demonstration outside the building, voices raised but unheard. This time, it was a formal invitation from Reform London Assembly Member Alex Wilson, who asked bereaved mothers and anti knife crime campaigners to come inside and speak openly about their experiences, their pain and the urgent need for meaningful action.

United under the banner of Binning Knives Saves Lives, the mothers stand together because of the tireless work of anti knife crime campaigner Courtney Barrett. Courtney has dedicated his life to removing knives from the streets of London and installing Daniel Baird bleed kits in schools, venues and public spaces. His work has already resulted in thousands of knives being taken off London’s streets, knives he wanted to personally hand in to the London Mayor to make the scale of the crisis impossible to ignore.

Among those present was Sue Hedges from Havering, founder of the Ricky Hayden Memorial, whose son Ricky was murdered. She was joined by Jackie Reid, Michelle Phillips and Kim Williams, mothers whose lives were forever changed by knife crime. Together, they spoke on camera about the devastating reality they face and the total absence of support once the headlines fade.

Sue Hedges is widely known across Havering for her tireless campaigning alongside Courtney Barrett. Despite her unwavering commitment to saving lives, Sue revealed she received no bereavement counselling, no guidance and no support of any kind following the murder of her son. Like so many mothers affected by knife crime, she was left completely alone to navigate unimaginable grief.

Courtney Barrett has built what is now known as the Binning Knives Saves Lives family, a network of bereaved families who support one another and stand united outside venues and across communities. These are mothers who refuse to let their sons be forgotten and who channel their grief into action, often at enormous personal cost.

During the meeting, the mothers spoke candidly about the resistance they face when attempting to install bleed kits. They described being told that placing kits in certain areas would harm property values, a sentiment they said exposes a deeply troubling prioritisation of house prices over human lives.

They spoke passionately about the life saving importance of the Daniel Baird bleed kits. One such kit, donated by Sue, was used to save the life of a teenager who was stabbed on his way to a Hornchurch College, proof that these kits are not symbolic gestures but tools that mean the difference between life and death.

The mothers also voiced their anger and frustration at what they described as being repeatedly ignored by politicians and dismissed by claims that knife crime is falling.

“Of course it isn’t lower, we see incidents of knife crime everyday. Who are they trying to fool? We live here, we can see what is going on. We all see the number of knives on the street. We are fed up of being fobbed off. We have no support, we have never been given any support. The support we get is from CJ here and how we all work toghether. Sadiq Khan has never supported us,” said Sue.

Michelle Phillips, who lost her son JJ, spoke about the emotional toll of fighting to place bleed kits across London.

“People put house prices before lives, They do not want bleed kits for the negative contotations they have. but they are vital. Surely lives come first?”

Throughout the meeting, Alex Wilson listened as the mothers laid bare their grief, their anger and their determination to prevent other families suffering the same fate. He heard first hand about the obstacles they face and the extraordinary work carried out by campaigners like Courtney Barrett.

Sue Hedges thanked Mr Wilson for giving them a platform.

“It was nice to be invited in and actually heard so thank you to Alex. As for City Hall, it made us feel very unwelcomed as we stood in the foyer.”

Speaking to the Havering Daily afterwards, Mr Wilson said the meeting had deeply affected him.

“After a truly eye opening meeting with the families of knife crime, I, now more than ever believe that the availability of bleed kits is vital to save hundreds of lives, and to prevent mothers having to bury their sons in such horrendous circumstances. As well as strong enforcement of our laws, i want to see bleed kits in most public spaces as defibrillators are. As Leader of the Reform UK London Assembly Group, I will be banging the drum to make this happen.”

Courtney Barrett and the mothers stressed that real change will only happen when communities, campaigners and decision makers work together. For these women, this is not policy or politics. It is about survival.

These are extraordinary mothers. Women who have buried their sons and wake up every day carrying that loss. Through Binning Knives Saves Lives and the relentless work of campaigners like Courtney Barrett, they continue to fight, not for recognition, but to save lives and ensure no other family is abandoned in the aftermath of knife crime.

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