How the Joshua Ingram murder brought knife crime to Seaford

After Joshua was killed, Crimestoppers encouraged young people in East Sussex to make an anonymous and untraceable report if they knew someone who regularly carried a knife.

The Fearless campaign reached 11,000 people on social media.

Annabelle Goodenough, the charity’s south east regional manager, said there was a “complex mix of reasons” which led to young people carrying knives and being involved in criminal behaviour.

“There is a real sense of fear and perceived vulnerability amongst young people and that leads them quite often to wanting to carry knives and other weapons,” she said.

“We know in reality that actually the number of young people carrying weapons is very very small.”

Stanley says Joshua’s case shows police and support services need to broaden their scope and look outside areas normally associated with knife crime.

A Home Office spokesperson said more than 3,800 officers had been placed into neighbourhood roles, while funding for police forces had risen by £834m to £18.4bn during the 2026/27 financial year.

“While we are making progress, we understand the devastating impact of knife crime on lives and communities and there is still more to do,” they said.

“That’s why our Plan to Halve Knife Crime will combine tougher enforcement with prevention and early intervention.”

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