Brother of Ipswich murder victim to roll out bleed control kits across town

Paul Stansby, 39, co-owner of Lucky 13 Tattoo Studio in Ipswich, has campaigned against knife crime since his brother, Dean, was fatally stabbed near Ipswich railway station in February 2017.

Four men were given life sentences in 2018 for killing father-of-five Dean, who hailed from Trimley St Mary, near Felixstowe.

A bleed control kit was installed at Mr Stansby's tattoo studio in St Margaret's Street on Saturday, and he is planning to roll out more in the coming weeks.

He said: "When I lost my brother five years ago, there was a lot that I felt wasn't in place that could have been within our community to keep us safer and give people more of a chance to survive if anything was to occur by being in the wrong place at the wrong time like my brother was.

"If there was a kit there that day, maybe he'd be alive today. I'm always trying to push the awareness of knife crime and the dangers of it, at the same time as making sure that we play a part in being able to have a chance to save someone's life.

"Having the kits put there is going to give a greater survival rate. I'm hoping that they never get used but in case anything does happen, there's an option there to save someone's life."

Mr Stansby is planning to roll-out more kits around Ipswich (Image: Archant)

Bleed control kits are similar to first aid kits but include trauma dressings, gauze, chest seals and tourniquets to help stop serious bleeding.

Each box can be accessed by dialling 999 to receive a code to open it.

Mr Stansby, who set up a charity in the wake of his brother's murder, said he speaks to a lot of victims of crime and family members who have suffered loss for his YouTube channel, and he found a common theme.

"There's was one thing that kept coming up with the stabbings, and the people who have suffered, and that was that there was nothing in play," he said.

"Whereas if there had of been a kit in play, then their kids would have been saved too."

The bleed control kit which has been installed at Lucky 13 Tattoo (Image: Archant)

Mr Stansby added the response from the community in Ipswich has been very positive.

He said: "We have funded a lot ourselves but we have started getting local businesses onboard and every time I've called one up they've said: 'Yes, we will 100% have it.'

"So, we've got eight more being made and they should be with us within the next couple of weeks. Then hopefully, we'll be getting one or two on each estate around Ipswich, and four or five in the town centre covering all the problem areas. Then we'll be moving into Felixstowe and getting some there as well."