A stain on our society, knife crime is tearing families apart and prematurely ending the lives of people who become caught in the tide of blade violence washing through our streets.

It is time to stamp it out, which is why today The Argus launches its Cut Knife Crime campaign – a community effort to bring this scourge to an end.

Mustafa Momand was stabbed on October 5 in Queen’s Road, Brighton, while making his way to the railway station.

People swarmed around the 17-year-old to try to save him before paramedics arrived. He died in hospital later that day.

Then in the early hours of October 7 a man in his twenties was stabbed in St James’s Street. he was taken to hospital for treatment and thankfully survived.

Just two days later, a 22-year-old man was stabbed in Trafalgar Street, just metres from where Mustafa was killed. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Drops of blood, a blood-stained hoodie and a first aid kit were left on the pavement near North Laine Café. A harrowing scene.

The man was discharged from hospital and continued to receive treatment in the days that followed.

People in their late teens and early twenties are most affected by knife crime, including 17-year-old Charlie Cosser who was killed at an end-of-term party in Warnham, near Horsham.

And in September, a 21-year-old man was taken to hospital with serious injuries after he was stabbed in Hassocks. He has been discharged but his recovery continues.

During The Argus campaign we will hear how knives shatter families, communities and the dreams of those whose lives were changed for ever in a split second.

We will work with police officers, politicians, paramedics and charity workers as well as talking about their experience dealing with victims of knife crime.

Among the people we are speaking to is Patrick Green of the anti-knife crime charity Ben Kinsella Trust, which runs an immersive exhibition demonstrating the tragic impact of carrying a blade.

The Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, Brighton, provides care for young people in the moments following horrific incidents. Doctors have spoken to The Argus about the work they do to keep them alive.

We also hear from the new youth workers at the children’s unit who support young people in their recovery processes and attempt to break the cycle of violence among them.

The Argus is also heading out on to the streets to hear your views on what should be done to tackle knife crime and will be putting your questions to Sussex Police’s knife lead, Detective Chief Inspector Simon Yates.

But what tangible changes do we hope to achieve with the Cut Knife Crime campaign?

• Our mission is to cut knife crimes and the number of people being injured and killed in stabbings through:
• Increasing the use of knife amnesty bins.
• Educating young people about knife crime and making them aware of the effects it has on not just the victim, but those around them.
• Having more bleed control kits in pubs, shops and businesses.

The Argus is working with Sussex Police to raise awareness about knife amnesty bins and exploring whether more can be provided in new locations.

Police have created a virtual reality scenario where young people can experience first hand everything that follows in the hours and days after someone is stabbed.

The experience shows them the brutal emotional impact.

We will also show how carrying a knife in “self-defence” increases the likelihood of being stabbed by 70 per cent.

The moments after a stabbing are vital in saving victims' lives. We will spread the word about how important bleed control kits can be, looking to make more of them available and publicly accessible.

Our campaign is also backing the efforts by Martin Cosser, the father of Charlie Cosser, who is creating a charity in his son’s name to inform young people about the impact of losing a loved one.

Last month, the family marked what would have been Charlie’s 18th birthday to plant a tree in his memory.

“Charlie wasn’t taking me down to the pub for a pint of beer, we were planting a tree because someone thought it was OK to stab him four times,” Martin said.

“We are mentally scarred for the rest of our lives - this has destroyed us.

“Relationships with family members and friends have become strained. People avoid us because they don’t know what to say.

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“It’s very lonely when you’re in this place, because nobody understands.

“It’s a horrible, horrible world - we just exist. We have no zest for life. We have forgotten what it’s like to be happy.”

The Cut Knife Crime campaign is being backed by celebrities, politicians and community leaders – and we want everyone to come together in a bid to end the misery caused by knives.

If you can host a bleed control pack in your business or support our campaign in any way contact campaigns@theargus.co.uk.