Idris Elba tells police they must ‘think deeper’ to eradicate knife crime

Idris Elba has said that although “facts” show stop-and-search powers help police tackle knife crime, the tactic does not eradicate the issue from UK streets.

The actor, 51, launched the “Don’t Stop Your Future” campaign on Monday 8 January calling for the immediate banning of machetes and so-called zombie knives.

He urged authorities to “think a little bit deeper” to stop knife crime and figure out the roots of the issues.

“There are hard facts that stop-and-search may help, but it is not eradicating the issue,” Elba said.

“Some kids are carrying these knives because they are scared, some are carrying them because it makes them feel protected... we need to figure out the roots of these issues.”