Campaigner's warning to knife carriers after court cases

The comments from Danny Maddocks, originally from Wrexham, came after the Leader reported on two cases in court last week involving people carrying knives after consuming alcohol.

Firstly, a Fintshire man was found to be almost four times the drink drive limit after members of the public raised concerns about his fitness to drive.

Police arrested and searched him - with a lock knife being found in his pocket.

Then in another case, a Wrexham man who started a verbal altercation in the street produced a large kitchen knife.

A court heard he drunkenly brandished the blade whilst walking in the middle of the road, to the horror of onlookers.

Mr Maddocks, whose campaigning began after his 34-year-old brother Craig was murdered in a knife attack at the Cambrian Vaults pub, Wrexham, in June 2013, said carrying a knife is bad enough - but carrying one after drinking is even worse.

"You don't know what you're going to do after drinking," he said.

"Once you've had a few, you could end up using [the knife] and causing tragedy to another family.

"Another person could end up dead, and then their family is going to go through what mine has.

"Because it's not just one person you're taking away, it's the whole family.

"Put down the knives - if you're willing to carry one, you're willing to use one.

"Just don't take one out with you at all; it's the last thing that should be on your checklist when you're heading out.

"You check if you've got your wallet, keys, phone - not your knife."

Mr Maddocks said it always concerns him to see how many incidents reported on in the media across the UK still involve the use or presence of knives.

"It's all the time now," he said.

"It's somehow becoming a norm because you're seeing it all the time - every time you pop onto social media."

He added he is planning to continue his work educating children about the dangers of knives with schools across Flintshire and Wrexham next year.