COMMUNITY leaders have called for calm following the knife attack on Andrew Holland and Curtis McAtee.

Councillors, MPs, police officers, church leaders and youth workers are calling for the community to pull together in the face of the weekend's violence.

Bolton South-east MP Dr Brian Iddon said: "Young people tell me they take knives out with them to protect themselves, but I want them to remember that if they get angry they could use them as the attacker, rather than to defend themselves."

Farnworth councillor Jean Cottam said: "It's really frightening something like this could happen. He was just a young boy who had the whole of his life before him. The laws on carrying knives and knife crime need to be tougher.

"There should be tougher punishment for people found simply carrying a knife, because things can easily spiral out of control."

Det Supt Ian Foster is urging the local community not to launch revenge attacks in light of the devastating incident.

He said: "I don't want people to carry out any revenge attacks against anyone."

Others are calling for youngsters to be better educated in the dangers of carrying a knife and violent crime.

Rev Cherry Vann, the area dean for Farnworth, said: "There is no doubt that knife crime is increasing in Farnworth and across the country as a whole. It's shocking that something like this can happen on our streets.

"This isn't a problem that should be left up to the police to solve - education must play a big part in it. Youngsters need to be taught how to manage their anger and conflict in a way that doesn't involve violence."

Donald Gayle, a former gang member who is now the manager of the Respect Mentoring project, said: "People need more education on the dangers of carrying knives, and it needs to be an urban education, on the streets. We have to change young people's attitudes because it's almost becoming normal to carry a weapon.

"We really have to overcome this problem and the only way we will be able to do that is if we work together as a whole community."