Erewash MP Adam Thompson has launched a fundraising walk to pay for bleed control kits in Ilkeston – but the move has divided opinion.
Some locals have welcomed the kits as vital tools that could save lives in emergencies, comparing them to defibrillators.
But others say it’s a “horrible thought” that Ilkeston now needs to prepare for stabbings as much as heart attacks.
One resident told us:
“It’s normalising the possibility of being stabbed. We shouldn’t be at a point where this is considered part of everyday life.”
Another added:
“At least someone in power is doing something – but it shouldn’t have come to this. Just look around town and you can see the state of things.”
The kits are being funded with help from Erewash Borough Council and local businesses, alongside the MP’s charity walk. They follow a string of violent incidents in Ilkeston and a petition calling for Bath Street and the Market Place to be made safer.
👉 What do you think – are bleed kits a life-saving necessity, or a grim sign of how far Ilkeston has fallen?