Lawrence father: fine knife thugs on the spot

Neville Lawrence said those caught carrying knives should face onthespot fines, which double if they fail to pay, in a bid to halt the knife crime epidemic. But he called for restraint over automatic prison sentences, warning excessive punishment alienates and criminalises young people.

Speaking to the Standard, the 65-year-old said: "Some have said anyone carrying a knife should be put in prison for life. That is too strong. You need to find some other way of beating this and convince them it is not worthwhile. People will think about the money in their pockets. We are in hard times - people will not want to pay money for carrying a knife."

Stephen, 17, an A-level student who hoped to be an architect, was murdered in 1993 after being stabbed during a racist attack while waiting at a bus stop with a friend in Eltham.

Since then the family have campaigned tirelessly over youth knife crime. Today Mr Lawrence backed the Standard's Beat Knife Crime campaign.

He said he was shocked by the explosion of youth and knife crime in London which has claimed the lives of 16 teenagers, 11 by knife attacks, this year. He said: "A knife is a killer all the time. You can run out of bullets with a gun but can always kill with a knife.

"When a person carries a knife, no one is going home. One goes to the morgue, the other to prison. Stop carrying knives. If you don't you'll destroy the victim's family and your own."

He added: "I support the Standard's campaign 100 per cent. I am really pleased the paper is doing this."

Mr Lawrence has been living in Jamaica since his divorce from Stephen's mother Doreen in 1999.

He has returned to London to star as himself in a play to educate young people over knife crime. The play - Shank - will be performed by Arc Theatre group at a conference today called Culture And The 2012 Games at Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Tottenham.

No one was convicted of Stephen's murder but five men were arrested - Gary Dobson, Luke Knight, Jamie and Neil Acourt and David Norris. Last week Norris, the Acourts and Dobson were ordered to pay damages of £100 each, for assault, conspiracy, and false imprisonment, to Stephen's friend and witness Dwayne Brooks.