Slough teenager Susuana Senghor, 17, has helped to launch a devastating new report prepared by young people who investigated the frightening growth in knife crime across Britain.

The report titled Our Generation’s Epidemic: Knife Crime was prepared by the Youth Select Committee - a body set up with support by Parliament to give young people the opportunity to scrutinise and hold inquiries into topics of importance to them.

Susuana is a member of the 11 strong committee of 11 to 18-year-olds who heard from a range of witnesses last year including leaders from the worlds of business, politics and the charity sector.

Just like UK Parliament Select Committees, the Youth Select Committee heard evidence inside a Committee Room in Parliament, which is normally reserved for MPs.

On Wednesday members launched their report at a special House of Commons reception. They called on the Government to tackle the injustices which made young person more vulnerable to knife crime.

Rachel Ojo, Chair of the Youth Select Committee, said: “The Youth Select Committee are concerned with the Government’s increasingly punitive approach to tackling knife crime.

“If the Government wishes to confront the fundamental causes of the rise in violent crime amongst young people, it must do more to address and improve the difficult circumstances many young people are facing.”

The committee concluded that inequality within communities and lack of opportunities made some young people particularly vulnerable to the draw of violence and gangs.

It came out firmly against extending stop and search powers until the 'disproportionate targeting of black men' has been addressed, while reconsidering custodial sentences as a way of targeting knife carrying and keeping school exclusion as a last resort.

It called for Government to actually hear the views of young people who had lived with experience of knife crime.

Two teenagers have died in Slough in recent months following knife attacks.