Life-saving bleed kits installed following family campaign

A number of life-saving bleed kits, designed to control bleeding after someone suffers a traumatic injury have been installed across East Staffordshire, following the work of the parents of a 19-year-old man who died as a result of a stab wound last year.

A total of seven kits, which include bandages, Quikclot to accelerate blood clotting, chest seals and gloves, were installed across Burton-upon-Trent on Tuesday (20 September) after a fundraising campaign.

The first kit was installed at Burton Police Station, unveiled by Rob and Kristy Freckleton, whose son Oliver died in Stretton in December 2021.

Pictured: Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime, Ben Adams, Rob Freckleton and Chief Inspector Clair Langley, Commander of East Staffordshire local policing team.

Further kits have been installed at Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Burton Community Fire Station and other key community locations including:

Navigation Pub, Horninglow Road

Old Royal Oak Pub, Burton Market Place

Shobnall Sports and Social Club

The Yellow Shop, Uxbridge Street

Booze City, Derby Road

The kits are designed to be easy-to-use and to help an injured person until they can receive treatment from a paramedic or doctor.

To access to the kit in an emergency, all you have to do is:

• call 999 and ask for the ambulance service.
• ambulance call handlers will then advise of the nearest cabinet location and provide the caller with a code to unlock it.
• the cabinet then contains instructions as to how to use the kit and the ambulance service will assist with first aid directions.

The installation compliments a dedicated campaign, Operation Sceptre, launched by the force in May this year, which saw almost 300 knives recovered from the region’s streets via anonymous knife bins, one of which was placed in Burton.

Chief Inspector Clair Langley, Commander of East Staffordshire local policing team (LPT), said: “Catastrophic bleeding from a trauma injury, such as a stabbing or serious road collision, can prove fatal in a matter of minutes.

"We were pleased to see the first kit fitted outside of our police station earlier this week and will support the delivery of training to give people the confidence to use them.

“These kits are designed to save lives and it’s great that they are now in our local area and accessible for public use, similar to defibrillators being available in the community.

“We have also ensured that our police officers know the location of the cabinets across the town, should they need to use a kit in an emergency. All advanced first aiders in the force also have access to their own similar kit.

“The work Rob and his family are doing to help save lives is remarkable and we will continue to support them in raising awareness of knife crime.”

Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime, Ben Adams said: “These kits are a simple but clever idea which equips users with the equipment and instructions to potentially save a life.

“It is astonishing what Mr and Mrs Freckleton have achieved over the last few months. It creates an important legacy for Oliver which will hopefully save lives and prevent other parents experiencing what they are currently going through.

“When someone is stabbed, getting treatment to stop the bleed as quickly as possible is paramount - every minute counts. The kits can be used in a variety of situations, not just stabbings and help to control the bleed and buy time for the ambulance to arrive.

“I am determined to do everything possible to keep Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent’s streets safe and protect residents from violence, which is why we are actively looking at ways to do more with these kits through our Violence Reduction Alliance.”

To find out more about what Staffordshire Police is doing to tackle knife-related crime in your area, visit: #DitchTheBlade | Staffordshire Police.

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