“I wanted to be a gangster.”

These are the words of *Anthony, a former young offender and victim of child criminal exploitation (CCE) here in Staffordshire.

He agreed to speak to Staffordshire Police as part of their Ditch the Blade campaign, which raises awareness around the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife.

“I started by carrying a knife and ended up being groomed by criminals,” he says. “The signs must have been there but at the time I just didn’t realise it.

“I surrounded myself with the wrong crowd, people who weren’t interested in an education and making something of themselves.”

Anthony’s decision to carry was fuelled by feelings of wanting to belong on the streets of Stoke-on-Trent. He was 13 years old and so much around him reinforced his desire to fit in.

“Social media and music fed into the whole thing, glamorising knives and the idea that carrying a knife was somehow cool,” he explains.

“I started not listening to teachers, stealing and bunking off school. Carrying a knife made me feel like I was on top. I got caught a few times for possession, but it didn’t stop me because it was just a lifestyle.”

But things got much worse for him. It wasn’t until Anthony began going missing from home that the reality of what he had become embroiled in came to light.

Since being introduced to a man by his young friends, he’d been falling deeper into the murky world of county lines drug trading, where dealers recruit young people by offering them money and other incentives.

He was groomed very quickly by the organised crime gang (OCG). In only a matter of weeks he was involved in the supply of class A drugs in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

“If I hadn’t been carrying a knife, those people wouldn’t have targeted me,” Anthony explains. “It played into their hands and made me vulnerable to exploitation.

“I didn’t know I was being exploited at first. I thought I was just hanging around with friends, having a laugh. He talked about his lifestyle, what we could achieve, money wise, and was giving us stuff.”

After months of coercion, Anthony attempted to leave. In response, his exploiters kidnapped him and used threats and intimidation to try to force him back into compliance.

This incident became the turning point when he fully recognised that he was being exploited rather than ‘helped’ or ‘included’ by the group.

“I was scared and confused. He’d come along as a friendly person giving us free stuff. It was a very bad reality check.”

Anthony’s experience highlights how the contradiction of a desire to enter adulthood and the childish who’s-harder-than-who bravado of carrying a knife can be so dangerous.

“One of my friends carried a knife and ended up in prison after he got involved in a fight. One thing led to another; he’s used it and unfortunately the person has passed away.

“Educating young people about the impact that carrying a knife can have on them and others is really important and I think hearing from people with lived experience, who’ve been there and done that if you like, hits home.

“That’s why I’ve decided to share my story. Every young person needs a reality check about carrying knives.”

Fast forward to today and Anthony’s story has a happy ending. Or his new story has a happy beginning. He has a family of his own and is set on establishing his own business.

He keeps in touch with those in authority who managed to gain his trust, including officers and staff from Staffordshire Police violence reduction team (VRT).

One, who worked closely with him, says:

“His story is the stuff of nightmares and underscores the potential serious consequences of young people carrying a knife; not just the risk of physical harm to themselves and others, but the fact it can make them a target for criminals. He was sold a dream of being a gangster by these people.

“One thing that really sticks with me is when he said he just wished he’d told somebody sooner. It’s OK to tell someone, a professional, whether that’s the police, social care, a teacher, someone from YOS [youth offending service], or a parent or family member.

“Even if you think you are doing something wrong, just trust someone please.”

Another officer adds:

“Would he have been a target if he hadn’t picked that knife up? I think not. It can almost be a gateway into exploitation for these kids.”

If you have concerns someone you know may be carrying a knife or be involved in knife crime you can reach out anonymously for advice and support.

*Anthony’s name has been changed for anonymity