Ashley Woolley’s grandmother and the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex have praised the recent knife amnesty started in Chelmsford.

The amnesty, a joint enterprise between Essex Police and charity Only Cowards Carry, which was started by Caroline Shearer after her son Jay Whiston, 17, was stabbed to death in 2012, aims to get as many knives as possible off the streets.

Iris Miles, 67, said the move had comforted her family following the death of her grandson, Ashley, 18, who died when he was stabbed in Chelmsford's Oakland's Park in December.

She said: “We are very happy it is going ahead because even if only one knife gets handed in, that’s one less crime committed tomorrow.

“It’s a comfort to know something is being done.”

Lindsay Whitehouse, deputy police and crime commissioner for Essex, added: “Chelmsford is a very safe city, but one incident is one too many.

“This is about addressing concerns and raising awareness and encouraging young people who are carrying a weapon to realise they don’t need to carry it.

“I would also like to pay tribute to Caroline and Trevor, parents who have suffered the horror of losing a child to knife crime, for their hard work.

“We hope to support them both in any way we can.”