Brother of murdered teen Jon-Jo Highton relives machete horror in knife crime documentary

A brand new documentary explores the rise in children carrying knives, and the worrying increase in deadly weapons being marketed to young people on social media.

Machete murder

Byron Highton watched his little brother die in a machete attack, in Preston, in 2014. In the half-hour long programme, Byron, from Deepdale, tells Shots! TV how he channelled his grief into becoming one of the leading anti-knife crime educators in the UK.

‘Brutal’ weapons marketed at children

Today, he runs the JJ Effect and works along-side Lancashire Police to teach troubled youngsters about the dangers of carrying a knife. In the video, Byron shows journalist, Lucinda Herbert, a selection of large knives and weapons that have been handed to him by young people during his sessions in schools, prisons and youth groups.

‘Brainwashed’ into knife crime

Holding up a range of zombie knives, Rambo knives, and machetes, he points out that some are ‘cheaply made’, have bright colours and ‘brutal names’ - all aimed at the youth market. He adds that knives are ‘part of the fashion’ - along with balaclavas and drill music, and that children are ‘brainwashed’ into thinking they need to carry a weapon.

In the documentary, Sergeant Dan Whittaker from Blackpool Police shows Lucinda Herbert some of the knife-crime hotspots in the resort. They also visit a knife amnesty bin during Op Sceptre knife crime awareness week.

Where can I watch the full knife crime documentary?

Watch the full documentary on the Shots! TV video on demand platform https://www.shotstv.com/watch/vod/52484334 or on Freeview channel 276.