THE mother of a knife crime victim is calling for further education and counselling for ‘troubled young people’.

Tom Roberts, 21, died in hospital after being stabbed twice in Bournemouth town centre in March last year.

He had been acting as a peacemaker when a fight erupted between his friend and his killer over an e-scooter outside the Subway branch in Old Christchurch Road.

Bournemouth Echo: Tom Roberts

Dolores Roberts-Wallace, Tom’s mother, previously described her son as a ‘hero’ and said losing him was like ‘losing a part of herself’.

She is now speaking out, almost 18 months after Tom's death, to call for action as part of the Echo's No More Knives campaign. 

“Knife crime education is essential for preventing violence and harm,” said Dolores.

“Raising awareness, encouraging reporting, supporting victims and routinely educating about the consequences is an absolute must.”

Bournemouth Echo: Dolores Roberts-Wallace and Tom Roberts

Dolores said she believes there should be mandatory visits from anti-knife crime groups to local schools as well as lessons on social behaviour for younger years.

“Schools should also provide proper counselling by qualified psychologists, especially for kids with troubled backgrounds,” said Dolores.

She said healthy outlets and after school activities should be provided by the government to keep young people ‘out of trouble and off the streets’.

However, once a person is found with a knife Dolores said police should ‘investigate thoroughly’ and the consequences of the offence should be emphasised.

Tom’s stepfather, Peter Wallace, is calling for harsher punishments to deter people from carrying weapons on the streets and prevent lives being lost. 

“If you're caught with a knife, you [should] suffer the consequences, because if you’re caught with it, you intend to use it.

“It’s not just for show, it's for use as well, otherwise you wouldn't carry it around.”

READ MORE: No More Knives: The stakes are too high to do nothing

Earlier this month an inquest heard that Tom's killer, Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai, had been deemed a potential terrorist threat by the Home Office’s Prevent anti-terrorism programme.

During his trial, a jury heard that he was previously convicted and given a 20-year prison term, in his absence, for murdering two people in Serbia with an assault rifle.

He was jailed in January, for Tom's murder, for life and will serve a minimum term of 29 years.