‘Zombie knife’ found by ten-year-old on his way to school in Scunthorpe

A ten-year-old boy who discovered a zombie knife while walking to school in Scunthorpe knew exactly what to do after a lesson about the dangers of such weapons.

Kade Hearne, a pupil at Oasis Academy Parkwood, Scunthorpe, spotted the weapon behind an electric box in his street. He stopped his twin sister from touching it in case she hurt herself or interfered with any fingerprints and, recalling the awareness session at his school earlier in the year, Kade rang both of his parents, who in turn called the police, sending photos of it from his phone as he did not want to leave it unguarded until officers arrived.

Author and educator Christina Gabbitas, an honorary member of the NSPCC Council, was invited by Oasis Academy Parkwood in January to speak to students in year 5 and 6 about grooming and the serious consequences of carrying knives, using her book, No More Knives or County Lines. Following the session, the school decided to purchase copies of the story to help reinforce the impact of her message.

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Kade said: “As soon as I saw the knife, I remembered what Christina had showed and discussed with us in the lesson.” After the visit, Cynthia Marie Hearne, mum of Kade, reached out to Christina to express her gratitude.

She said that thanks to Christina’s educational visit, Kade remembered the important lessons discussed during the session. In a message posted on social media, Cynthia thanked Christina for her work at Oasis Academy Parkwood and mentioned how Kade, encountering the zombie knife, remembered the dangers of knives and acted responsibly.

Humberside Police commended Kade for his actions. As a result, Kade is now a finalist for the BBC Radio Humberside Make a Difference Bravery Award.

Cynthia said: “I wanted to reach out to Christina to let her know that her work is invaluable, and I’m pleased that my wannabe policeman son is making the right choices with the education he had been provided. We are beyond proud but it takes a village.”

Cynthia emphasized the significance of Christina’s work in a community where child exploitation is a real concern; she expressed her pride in Kade and highlighted the importance of a collective effort in guiding and supporting children to make positive decisions.

Christina said: “It’s very rewarding to learn that my writing is having a positive impact. I’m a big believer in the power of storytelling for delivering important and educational messages.

“More emphasis on early intervention education is needed and I hope that the new Government don’t overlook this. Prevention is key.”

Christina was first commissioned in 2019 by Humberside PCC and has visited hundreds of schools in the Humber and North Yorkshire regions with her story No More Knives or County Lines. North Yorkshire PCC commissioned to Christina to write a sequel story, Trapped in County Lines, that sees the characters caught up once again and groomed into county lines.

There is a fatality from a stabbing and a child goes missing in the sequel aimed at secondary-age children. Christina, who is continuing her efforts working with various police forces, was invited to speak at the British Association of Women in Policing in 2023 to talk about her successful early intervention work with forces.

Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe