Message from PM to Jessica
4:57pm Wednesday 27th February 2008
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has paid tribute to the courage of Chorley stab victim Jessica Knight.
Mr Brown took time out from his busy schedule to talk about Jessica and at the same time reinforcing the Government's pledge to fight knife crime.
In a statement, Mr Brown said: "I'm delighted to hear that Jessica is on the road to recovery and getting better day by day.
"I would like to pay tribute to her courage and bravery, as I understand she suffered some horrific injuries as a result of the vicious attack upon her.
"Knife crime ruins lives and it is something we are determined to crack down on as a Government.
"Too often young lives are needlessly and tragically lost as a result of it. Hopefully Jessica will make a full recovery."
Jessica is recovering from her ordeal in Pendlebury Children's Hospital, Manchester.
The 14-year-old Parklands High School pupil was attacked near Astley Park last month.
Chorley's Labour MP Lindsay Hoyle said: "The attack on Jessica was a horrific and brutal act which shocked not only the community here in Chorley, but people right across the country.
"I am pleased that Jessica is making a good recovery and the people of Chorley have shown their support for Jessica through the remarkable fundraising effort that we have seen in a short space of time.
"Knife crime is a terrible blight on our society and I am pleased that the Prime Minister has made clear his commitment to strengthen measures in relation to knife crime due to be announced in the Tackling Violence Action Plan later this month.
"We can't tolerate violent crime, and attacks such as the one carried out on Jessica show the real danger of people carrying knives.
"In the meantime, I hope the fundraising continues to go well and send our best wishes to Jessica and her family."
A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: "Knife crime in Lancashire is a high priority for the constabulary and it should be remembered that incidents involving knives are thankfully very rare and Lancashire has relatively few incidents compared to some other areas of the North West and other parts of the country.
"Recent initiatives like Operation Pulse, a high visibility, pro-active policing operation using stop and search powers on members of the public across parts of East Preston and Fulwood, helped send out a zero tolerance message about the possession of weapons in the city."
A fundraising campaign has been launched to initially send her on a dream trip to Disneyland in Florida and to swim with dolphins once she is fully recovered.
The Baron's Rest pub, Astley Village, which kickstarted the campaign is the venue for a special fund-raising day on March 1.
An account called Jessica's Fund has been set up at the NatWest Bank, Market Street, Chorley. You can take donations there or to any branch of the bank.
If you are planning a fund-raising event for Jessica, call the Citizen newsdesk on 01257 269313, or email gmccully@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk.
Frenchman Kristofer Beddar, aged 21, of Daisy Hill Drive, Adlington, has been charged with his her attempted murder. A trial date has been set for July 14.