Romford C-store gets vital bleed kit by anti-knife campaigner

A convenience store on Rose Lane in Marks Gate in Romford was given a vital lifesaving bleed kits by anti-knife crime campaigners. 

According to local reports, anti-knife campaigner Sue Hedges and April Hayden spend every week donating vital lifesaving bleed kits to as many business organisations as they can to help save lives. The kits can stop any form of catastrophic bleeding from gunshot wounds, knife wounds and road traffic wounds.  

Sue, who lost her son Ricky Hayden to knife crime in 2016, told the Havering Daily, “We are very pleased to be able to donate another Daniel Baird bleed bag to Huseyin.  

“It is important that we have as many of these bleed kits as possible across our communities to save as many lives as we can. 

“Last week we saw another two 16-year-old boys fatally stabbed, dying on our streets and still no action is taken. That is another two families who will now be going through the heartbreak we went through. How many families are losing their child on the London streets every day and still nothing is done?” 

Earlier this year, independent retailers were urged to help cut the number of deaths from stabbings in the UK by installing special ‘bleed control kits’ in stores across the country.

Kits have already been installed in a number of convenience stores around the country, including in Northamptonshire, where the baton has been taken up by anti-knife-crime group Off the Streets NN. 

Further locations where the packs have been installed included the Spar in High Street, Raunds; Premier Irchester; Shelley Park Stores, Wellingborough; Budgens in Berrymoor Road, Wellingborough; Josan Express Store in Elsden Road, Wellingborough, and PJ Bargains in Northampton Road, Wellingborough. 

Chief executive James Lowman said at the time that convenience stores have a proud record of working with the local community to make their local area safer and more vibrant.  

“It’s great to see so many retailers supporting this initiative to make sure bleed packs are available when they are needed. ACS would definitely encourage retailers to look at taking part in initiatives like this, and where there are local campaigns, it’s well worth talking to the police about how to get involved,” Lowman said. 

It is also backed by the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF). Head of public affairs Dr John Lee said that knife crime can have devastating consequences and SGF is delighted to support the Control the Bleed campaign and highlight it to all our retail members across Scotland.  

“This is an outstanding example of how retailers can support customers and communities to deal with the impact of crime.”