SOUTH West Wiltshire MP Dr Andrew Murrison is backing a bereaved mother’s campaign for a change in the law for people who commit crimes using knives.

Emma Caley, the mother of Jordan Taylor, handed in a 60,000-plus petition against knife crime to the Prime Minister on Sunday.

Emma, 48, had asked Dr Murrison to support a Private Members’ Bill calling for tougher sentences on people who carry knives and guns for self-defence.

She wants the Government to review self-defence and reasonable force laws as well as to impose tougher custodial sentences on people who are found to be carrying a knife or a gun.

Her son Jordan, 25, died after being stabbed four times in a Trowbridge street in March last year. Following a trial, Hayden Maslen, also from Trowbridge, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for carrying a bladed article.

Dr Murrison said: “My view is that there are grounds to increase sentencing powers for possession of a knife in a public place. Nobody should think it’s okay to be out and about with potentially lethal weapons.

“I have now written to the new Home Secretary to determine what action he proposes to take to strengthen the law on knife crime.”

Ms Caley said: “It cannot be right to say you acted in self-defence if you go out with a knife or a gun.”

Her call follows the handover of a 61,900-signature petition and a protest involving more than 800 people at Westminster.

Ms Caley was joined by another grieving mother, Amy Morgan, whose 16-year-old son, Tyler Thompson, was stabbed to death in November 2015.

Their petition was handed in by Leicester MP Keith Vaz who intends to introduce a Private Member’s Bill to the House of Commons urging the Government to impose tougher sentences on people carrying knives, those who wield them, and for the police to increase stop and searches on people whom they suspect of carrying lethal weapons.

Criminals convicted of possessing a knife can currently expect a penalty ranging from a caution to a six-month minimum prison term. Mr Vaz says this should be raised to three to five years’ custody.

A previous attempt to introduce the Bill to Parliament last year ran out of time when the snap General Election took place in June.

National TV broadcasters are also taking a keen interest in the Jordan Taylor case following the dramatic increase in the number of stabbings in London and elsewhere in recent months.

ITV’s Tonight news documentary team is due to broadcast a programme on Thursday, July 5, and the BBC Panorama team have also been investigating the incident.