During this week of Operation Sceptre, the national week of action to tackle knife crime, we have joined forces with Derbyshire Police and the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust to project anti-knife crime images on to the side of the Royal Derby Hospital.

Starting yesterday evening (Monday 15 November) the images will be projected at the main entrance to the hospital, to remind people of the dangers of carrying a bladed weapon.

Derby Homes' Managing Director Maria Murphy said:

We are delighted to be supporting this latest knife crime campaign to help tackle this important issue.

We all know how much of a real problem knife crime is in our communities and it’s something we all need to address as a city. We believe this will be a benefit to Derby Homes’ tenants as well as the wider population of Derby.

It’s crucial we target our full focus on the next generation and encourage them to drop the knife.

Dr Magnus Harrison, Executive Medical Director and Deputy CEO at UHDB, said:

The devastating impact knife crime can have on families is sadly something that my colleagues across the NHS witness far too often.

Having worked for a number of years in a busy major trauma centre earlier in my career, I have witnessed first-hand the life-changing effect knife attacks can have – not just on victims but on their loved ones too.

Sadly, a large proportion of stabbing victims that my colleagues see in A&Es up and down the country are young adults, with many experiencing life-altering injuries that require surgical intervention and others even losing their lives, as a result. It is truly heart-breaking to see people’s lives – especially those of young people – wasted in this way and the irreversible damage that this can have, both on them and the people around them.

As a Trust, we’re proud to support the police force’s national Operation Sceptre campaign by helping educate people about the impact knife crime can have, as well as sharing the extremely important message that this abhorrent and extremely dangerous crime is wrong and has absolutely no place in our communities.

The images will be displayed every evening between 6pm and 9pm, until and including, Sunday 21 November and members of Normanton and Peartree Safer Neighbourhood Team will be on-hand to discuss any concerns.
If you are aware of anyone who carries or a knife or have concerns that someone you know may be doing so, please report it by:

You can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by visiting the Crimestoppers website.