A hard-hitting, short film that has been released by Barking and Dagenham Council to tackle youth violence and anti-social behaviour is heading towards 25,000 views in two weeks.

The film is part of a wider campaign called Lost Hours that talks directly to parents, asking them to take more responsibility for their children by knowing where they are and what they’re up to…before it’s too late.

Youth violence is a problem across the whole of London, but to tackle the issue locally, the Lost Hours film features local people who have been affected, including Peter Chesney and Beatrice Mushiya, who have both tragically lost children to knife attacks in recent years.

In the last two years, Barking and Dagenham has had 67 registered knife attacks where a young person was injured and 1,794 robberies of personal property by a young person.

The film was recorded in the borough to make sure it was relatable to local people and includes landmarks such as Barking Station, Dagenham Heathway and the Gascoigne estate.

Produced by local filmmaker Nathan Miller, the film has really hit home with residents and the wider community and has already been viewed almost 25,000 times, with hundreds of shares on social media.

Abdalla Ali, a young person who has been through the Youth Offending System, appears in the film to talk about his experiences. The short film also features clear advice from Stephen Addison, who runs Box Up Crime, a boxing charity that aims to get young people off the streets.

Councillor Maureen Worby, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration said: “I’m delighted to see how well the film has gone down with local people and that residents are really supporting our hard-hitting approach to this issue.

“Unfortunately, youth violence is happening on our doorsteps and we need parents to start realising that their children could be involved. So, we’re asking you to start questioning your children, before they do something they may later regret.”

As well as the short film, Barking and Dagenham Council has produced graphic campaign posters that have been displayed around the borough at bus stops, train stations and on the sides and insides of buses.

The East London council will launch further phases of the Lost Hours campaign, which will include working closely with schools to continue to reach parents through different avenues.

For more information on the campaign and to see the film, head to the Lost Hours website.