I just drove past the bleeding body of a young man, curled upon the pavement around the corner to my home. Several Police officers were with him. He seemed to be clutching a stomach wound. It’s Friday: not yet 10pm.

I didn’t stop. I couldn’t have helped. I hear sirens approaching, which I assume means an ambulance is coming to try and save this young life. I send up a prayer which I hope will be answered.

As I write, I have no idea what happened. I make all kinds of assumptions, most of which will doubtless be wrong. I know for certain there has been a brutal attack on the streets where we live and young lives, and those of their families, are being wrecked.

I know things like this happen; I discuss them with our police officers and read about them in this newspaper, but actually seeing, albeit fleetingly, the aftermath of such an incident shook me to the core. I imagine it would have been worse for my neighbours, who may have heard or seen the fracas and called the police and ambulance.

I hope the police catch those responsible for injuring that young man, and when they do, that the attackers receive appropriate prison sentences. That is only right and just, but I can’t help feeling a deep, abiding sorrow, and not just for the injured young man lying on the street and for his family, but for the other young men involved. Many lives were ruined tonight.

Countrywide, knife crime is going down, due to the hard work of many individuals and organisations, professionals and volunteers, who spend a lot of time with young people, educating them in the folly of carrying knives. Prevention is always better than cure.

That being said, I’m glad I voted for a knife clampdown in June this year and a mandatory jail sentence for anyone caught twice in possession of a knife.

Anything we do to get knives off the streets, to make our young people, our families and our streets even a little safer, must be right. More from Lyn