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Watch: This Londoner made a homemade stab-vest to protect himself on the streets
25 November 2019, 08:18
In the wake of a weekend of knife violence across London, one man showed LBC his homemade stab-proof vest which he wears because of fears of knife crime.
LBC's Correspondent Rachael Venables spoke to one man, called Claudio, on the streets of West Ealing who was so concerned about the increase in knife crime in the capital he made his own stab-proof vest.
Claudio told LBC there is "danger out here" and "knife crime is getting out of control."
The worried Londoner said there was never enough police around, saying "when the police come it's too late."
He said he wanted to protect himself, "before something tragic happens."
Describing the homemade vest he said it was designed just to protect his organs, "so I've got a second chance, I believe I can survive with a cut in my arm."
When he was asked how things got to this stage and why he felt the need to make and wear a stab vest every day, Claudio said: "I wear it every day, because there are stabbings in London almost every day."
He was speaking to LBC after London was hit with a weekend of knife violence which saw three men stabbed to death within the space of just 24-hours, including one in Ealing.
Citing concerns over mistaken identity and growing drug-fueled violence, the concerned man told LBC, "stabbing can get to anybody, any age, gender, background. You name it, it can just come to you at any point."
When asked if he was scared his instant reply was, "I have to say yes."
Last week the City of London police announced hundreds of bars and pubs across the financial district will be given specialist bleeding control kits to treat knife victims after a campaign by the mother of a man stabbed to death.
It comes after a record high of 44,000 knife crimes in England and Wales in the 12 months to June 2019, and 130 fatal knife incidents in London alone.
On Saturday violence broke out at the screening of a film in Birmingham when police with tasers were called to quell a mass brawl involving teenagers armed with machetes.
