Ex Greater Manchester gang member backs knife crime campaign

A man who used to be involved in violent crime is backing a campaign to get knives off our streets.

It comes towards the end of a week-long campaign by police across Wigan & St Helens.

Officers will be doing knife sweeps in public places, have surrender bins for bladed weapons, and target criminal gangs as part of Operation Sceptre.

Mark Bracewell grew up on the Moss Side estate in Manchester.

As a teenager, he began dealing drugs for older teens and carried a knife.

This was the norm, he said, necessary to protect yourself from rival drug gangs and turf wars.

Mark was even kidnapped and shot at the age of 14, the same year one of his best friends was shot and killed.

He's now turned his life around and educates young people about the dangers of getting involved in knife crime.

Mark said: “My life now revolves around helping young people realise how crime can destroy your life, particularly knife crime. By sharing my experiences I hope to help them make better choices than I did. I am lucky to be here and to have a second chance to use my life for good.”

Talking of being stabbed Mark said: “Five years ago I lost my eye when I was stabbed in the face and neck but it could have easily been my life."

"Having a prosthetic eye that I can easily take out means the kids can clearly see the harm a knife can do."

"I can take my fake eye out, hold it up and say – do you want this to happen to you? Or imagine if you did this to someone else, how would you feel?”

After dealing drugs for years Mark was 17 when he decided to take cocaine for the first time to give him courage to confront a rival gang leader.

It wasn’t long before he was addicted and this led him to commit crimes to fund his habit.

“When I came out of prison I got a job and began a ‘normal’ life but I felt like I had no purpose and wanted something more."

"Through finding my faith, and with their help and support, I helped mentor the 16-18-year-olds in supported living accommodation, preparing them for the real world while also volunteering at the YMCA. This lead to me working at residential care homes as a residential child practitioner.

“Now I hold small group sessions in schools in north Staffordshire, talking about my past to help teens see that while my story isn’t unique, the fact I’m here to tell it is.

I also do one-to-one mentoring for troubled kids; I build a relationship with them, be someone they can really talk to, no judgement or worry.

They also listen to what I have to say, because they know I get it, all the stuff they’re going through, the way they feel. I’ve been there, I’ve lived it too.

“My life is now dedicated to helping teenagers and young adults not to make the mistakes I did."

"Growing up my mum did the absolute best she could but I didn’t really have a male role model, someone to help me figure things out."

"I aim to be the person who does that for them and if any of my work stops just one kid from picking up a knife, it will be worth it.”