“Drop the knife save a life” chanted the relatives of a popular nightclub bouncer at an anti-knife rally in north London.

April Hayden, 24, from Collier Row, marched from Islington to Hackney on Sunday, in honour of her brother Ricky Hayden who was stabbed outside his home in Gibbfield Close, Chadwell Heath, in September last year.

He later died in hospital.

“They [the police] need to bring back stop and search,” she said.

“I will carry on fighting this for the rest of my life till I meet Ricky again.”

Romford Recorder: Stefan Brown, centre, heads the Stop Our Kids From Being Killed On Our Streets charity spoke at the anti-knife crime rally. Picture: STEFAN BROWNStefan Brown, centre, heads the Stop Our Kids From Being Killed On Our Streets charity spoke at the anti-knife crime rally. Picture: STEFAN BROWN (Image: Lorraine King)

The mum-of-one was joined by her mother Suzanne Hedges and nan Irene Hedges, who all wore T-shirts emblazoned with Ricky’s image.

“Nothing is being done by the government,” she continued.

“So I want the stop and search to come back so people get searched with the knives on them.”

According to April, more than 500 people attended the march which forced officers to redirect the route to prevent roads from being blocked.

Romford Recorder: Hundreds of people attended an anti-knife crime march. Picture: DEE M CEEHundreds of people attended an anti-knife crime march. Picture: DEE M CEE (Image: Archant)

“People are angry,” she continued.

“We have all had enough, people are losing their lives.

“People are carrying knives around like it’s their mobile phones.”

Ricky’s dad Paul Hayden, 54, who was injured in the incident, was unable to attend due to ongoing issues with injuries he sustained.

“Dad was going to come but his foot keeps swelling up. He couldn’t come but he was proud.”

“I asked my son [Cruz, 19 months] where’s Ricky and he goes ‘up’,” she said.

“It brings tears to everyone’s eyes in a happy way, but obviously we wish he was still here.”

The family was joined by the relatives of Dean Pascal-Modeste, 21, from Barking, who was the cousin of one of Ricky’s best friends.

Dean died of multiple stab wounds in Mottingham in February 24 - three days before his 22nd birthday.

Guest speaker Stefan Brown, from the Stop Our Kids From Being Killed On Our Streets (SOKBKOOS) charity, said: “There are too many families out their burying their children.

“Enough is enough and we need to look at what the root of this epidemic is so we can truly tackle it.

“It takes a village to bring up a child and we must all come together collectively as a community to stop all these killings.”

April said her family plan to start up a joint knife crime charity with Dean’s but will focus on this after the trial.

Tommy Roome, 19 from Rams Grove, Chadwell Heath and Tarrell Hinds, 20, of Rodney Road, Southwark are charged with murder and attempted murder in conection with Ricky’s death.

Kevin Malamba, from Manford Cross, Hainault, is charged with perverting the course of justice.

The trial is expected to start at the Old Bailey on June 19.