Beckham speaks out against knife crime

David Beckham has called for an end to knife crime in the UK.

The sports star recalled how his childhood friend Glen Fielder, a promising footballer, was left paralysed after intervening in a fight.

The Daily Star quotes him as saying: "[Glen] was about to sign a contract with Leyton Orient. But one day he was walking the streets, saw a fight, went over to help, got stabbed in the back and was paralysed.

"No-one wants to see the devastation I saw my friend and his family go through. You don't expect situations that are happening whereby people go to school in the morning and then you never see them again."

Speaking alongside Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Beckham urged his fellow footballers to use their status as role models to inspire change.

He said: "We have got to help. It is something that as footballers and people and as a team we can get involved in. We have got a voice that kids listen to and we believe that things can change."