Advice on defence

The police reassurances that knife crime is falling is clearly of no help to the victims of knife crime nor the loved ones left behind.

I would encourage everybody to carry two things that are far better than a knife to protect you.

The first is an umbrella. An umbrella is legal and if anyone comes at you with a knife it gives useful parrying distance. If you have a two foot umbrella then you can put the length of your arm and two feet between you and your assailant and most knives are not that big.

The second is a whistle. I encourage all my personal training clients to keep a whistle around their neck and if anything happens then put it in your mouth and run. Better still, if possible, as you run put it in your mouth and blow into it.

The last thing a criminal wants is to be seen and the shrill of a whistle will go a long way to draw attention to yourself. This will put the assailant off.

James Bond

Personal trainer