Leeds churches 'part of the solution' to rising knife crime
It's as church leaders meet in York from today to discuss it
We're hearing churches in Leeds could form part of the solution to tackling rising knife crime across the city.
Christian leaders will discuss whether they could become 'safe havens' for young people in violence hotspots at a gathering in York from today
There have been calls for them to be opened up to children after school in areas which suffer from high levels of violent crime - so they've got somewhere safe to go.
It's as churches across Chapeltown and Harehills have been coming together to help tackle the issue.
Tony Parry's from the New Testament Church of God in Leeds:
"There is a well of compassion. Young people see that so yes churches can be a place of sanctuary, especially for those who might be very vulnerable.
"Churches really care for communities and when you find lots of institutions are leaving and abandoning certain communities, churches remain. It's not just one church - all of the churches in Churches Together in Chapeltown and Harehills have signed up to this because we all care passionately about our young people."
The group of churches are raising money for knife amnesty bins in their communities.
Alison Phelps from Harehills Lane Baptist Church says violent crime's had a big impact there:
"It raises the fear level doesn't it? It's just shicking that people feel that they have to have a knife on them for self-protection. And then when something happens in the local park then all the families that regulary play there worry about their own children and have to worry about how to speak to them not to create a climate of fear.
"I think there's a real loss when there are fewer resources for the old type of youth work - young people had places to meet and things to get on with."