Boy, 11, hands in terrifying 18-inch long machete to knife crime campaigner during amnesty
- Primary schoolboy hid the deadly blade inside his trouser leg for protection
- Campaigner Odane Cross, 28, has launched an amnesty in Reading, Berkshire
- He said he was reduced to tears when he discovered the boy was just 11 years old
An 11-year-old boy handed in an 18-inch long machete to a knife crime campaigner during an amnesty.
Odane Cross, 28, was reduced to tears when the primary school pupil revealed his age after producing the deadly blade from inside his trouser leg.
Mr Cross has launched a one-man knife amnesty in Reading, Berkshire, in response to an alarming spate of fatal stabbings in the area.
He runs a Caribbean food takeaway delivery business and he is offering a 50 per cent discount to anyone who wants to hand in a blade.
His ‘Trade the Blade’ amnesty began over a week ago and so far he has collected 21 weapons that includes machetes, zombie knives, flick knives and samurai swords.
The schoolboy told Mr Cross he had bought it from a local shop for £15 and had had it for two weeks.
Odane Cross (pictured with the machete), 28, was reduced to tears when the primary school pupil revealed his age after producing the deadly blade from inside his trouser leg
Mr Cross said: ‘Someone contacted me through Snapchat to say he had a knife he wanted to get rid of.
‘When I pulled up in my car and saw him I didn’t think it was him at first. Then he pulled this 18-inch machete out of his trouser leg and my heart sunk.
‘It was as long as his leg.
‘I asked him how old he was and he said eleven. I couldn’t believe it.
‘He said he got it from the shop for £15. I asked him why he had it and he said he was scared of getting stabbed and that if someone tries anything with him he would end their life.
Mr Cross has launched a one-man knife amnesty in Reading, Berkshire, in response to an alarming spate of fatal stabbings in the area. Pictured: Knives collected in the amnesty
The schoolboy told Mr Cross (pictured with blades he has collected in the amnesty) he had bought it from a local shop for £15 and had had it for two weeks
‘I told him if he killed someone with then his life was finished as well as the person he killed and their family’s lives would also be ruined with one knife.
‘I think I made him realise and he handed it over. He was a young, white male and could have been anyone’s child. It is really sad and scary.’
Mr Cross runs a Caribbean food takeaway delivery business and he is offering a 50 per cent discount to anyone who wants to hand in a knife. Pictured: Blades handed into the amnesty
His ‘Trade the Blade’ amnesty began over a week ago and so far he has collected 21 weapons that includes machetes, zombie knives, flick knives and samurai swords
Mr Cross said he decided to try and get as many knives off the streets in the wake of the recent murders of 26-year-old Raheem Hanif and 13-year-old Olly Stephens.
Knife users call Mr Cross’s mobile number or contact him through social media and he arranges to meet them to recover their weapon.
He wears a stab-proof vest and admits to being scared on some occasions when venturing into the unknown.
He takes the knives home with him and arranges for the police to collect them once every two days.
A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said they were aware of the amnesty and although they were not taking a part in it, were grateful to members of the pubic for helping to reduce knife crime.
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