Family backing 'No knife crime' gig

6:37am Saturday 19th July 2008

The family of murdered teenager Ben Kinsella have announced a concert to tell the world 'No to knife crime'.

Ben, the brother of former EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella, died after he was stabbed during a night out in north London.

Stars from the world of entertainment were among more than 1,000 mourners who attended his funeral on Friday. Miss Kinsella, who played Kelly Taylor in the TV soap, said now the funeral was over she feels "stronger" and more able to fight knife crime.

"We need to do something about it and this concert will show the Government that people care and want a change. All the families want this to show their children have not died in vain. This is the change to make a difference."

The concert will be held on Sunday September 21 at Finsbury Park and tickets will be available for 40,000 people. More information will be released soon on the website www.benkinsella.org.uk

The families of other victims of knife crime will also be involved in the event but their names have not yet been made public.

Miss Kinsella, Ben's mother Debbie, father George and sisters Jade and Georgia were joined at Ben's funeral by dozens of the 16-year-old's friends dressed up in colourful wigs, outsized sunglasses and T-shirts bearing anti-knife crime slogans.

Ben's close friend, Brooke Dunford, 16, said: "He was a funny, bright boy. He wouldn't have wanted everyone to wear black."

Also at the service at St John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, in Islington, were former EastEnders' stars Michelle Ryan, Gillian Taylforth and James Alexandrou, Birds of a Feather actress Linda Robson and Islington North Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn.

Richard Taylor, the father of schoolboy Damilola Taylor, also attended. Damilola was 10 when he was stabbed to death with broken glass in November 2000 in Peckham, south-east London.

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