Hundreds of people have joined a march through Romford town centre to remember murdered teenager Jodie Chesney and protest against a spate of knife killings.
Demonstrators chanted “no more knives” as they took to the east London town in memory of the 17-year-old who was fatally stabbed in nearby Harold Hill last Friday.
Balloons and banners in Miss Chesney’s favourite colour, purple, decorated the route for the protesters who were out in force to unite against the recent bloodshed on London's streets.
Speaking at the march on Thursday night, a friend of Jodie’s family said “This march shows the ripple effect that knife crime has. It touches all of our lives.
She told the Romford Recorder: “Tonight we march peacefully with love in our hearts. For our children. For our children’s children. For our young people. And for justice for Jodie.”
Up to 2,000 people joined the demonstration, which was attended by members of Jodie's family, the local newspaper reported.
It comes after Jodie’s father called for mandatory sentences for those carrying knives as he paid tribute to his "kind, good and thoughtful" daughter
Speaking for the first time since his daughter’s death in Harold Hill, Peter Chesney said those carrying out knife attacks were “weak and cowardly” and said the attacks “had to stop”.
“We can't stop them carrying them how are we going to stop them using them, the only way to do that is to scare them with prison and a mandatory sentence for carrying a knife, a big one,” Mr Chesney said.
He added there was no way the attack could have happened “to a nicer person” and that his daughter was the "nicest person any of us know, or knew."
He said she "wouldn't have done anything to deserve this - no way".
"She was the nicest person any of us know. Everything about her was about being kind and good and thoughtful."
Mr Chesney pleaded for those with information about the attack to come forward.
A man has been arrested in connection to Ms Chesney’s killing.
The Explorer Scout was approached by two males and knifed in the back while she listened to music with friends near a children's playground.
Police had said they do not have "any idea" why she was stabbed, as rumours emerged it was linked to a gang initiation.
