Star Comment: Ronan's Law is a tribute to the courage of his family

The new legislation, which will strengthen age-verification checks on online knife sales and impose stiffer sentences on retailers selling knives to under-18s, is a tribute to the tenacity of the family of Ronan Kanda, and his mother Pooja in particular.

Ronan was just 16 years old when he was stabbed to death yards from his family home in Wolverhampton, in a case of mistaken identity. His case was not only shocking because of his young age and his innocence, but also the fact that his assailants were themselves of a similar age.

Tragically, since then, this newspaper has had to report on several other young lives wasted through the scourge of knife crime. Mrs Kanda has spoken about how she relives the anguish of losing her son every time she reads about these needless deaths. Since the loss of her son, she has dedicated her life to fighting knife crime, sharing her story with youngsters who might be tempted to carry a knife.

Today's crackdown on the sale of knives is essential and long overdue, but it will not in itself be enough to tackle this disturbing trend.

Just a few years ago, the very idea of a school-age child carrying a knife would have seemed almost unthinkable. Yet many teenagers today talk about it as if it is the norm. 

Making it more difficult for teenagers to get hold of deadly knives is a step in the right direction and long overdue, and we can only hope that it will be backed up with enforcement and the appropriate sentencing. 

But without a societal change in attitudes, particularly among the young, it is unlikely to be enough. We can only hope that today's youngsters will heed the wise words of Pooja Kanda.