A man whose younger brother was stabbed to death is campaigning for a national minute’s silence to be held to remember victims of youth violence.

Jake Cass, of Charlton Crescent, Barking, convinced Barking and Dagenham Council to pay tribute to those lost during a meeting last month – and now hopes to go further.

His younger brother, Thomas Overton, was just 18 years old when he was killed after being turned away from a birthday party in 2012.

“We were very close,” Jake said. “I was in my bedroom when my step-dad came upstairs and told me. I just started crying.

He wrote to Barking MP Margaret Hodge about holding a minute’s silence after spotting the idea on an Instagram post.

“I feel strongly about youth crime and because of the circumstances [of my brother’s death] I thought I had to take it a bit further,” he said.

Mrs Hodge agreed to write to the council on his behalf and councillors held a minute’s silence at their Annual Assembly meeting in May.

An online petition calling for a remembrance day for victims of youth crime to be added to the national calendar has been set up online – and Jake hopes he can help turn this into a reality.

“I think that’s the only way forward, we need a day just to remember,” Jake added.

Jake’s step-dad, Joe Squibb, 40, said he was proud of what Jake had achieved and hoped it would help him move forward by confronting the past.

“It’s only recently that he’s let on that it affects him,” he said. “He kept it to himself for a while but the petition has made him speak about it more.”

His parents offered to help Jake in his campaign but Jake wanted to do it alone.

“When he told me about it he said he wanted to do it himself,” Joe added. “He’s always got our backing.”

Mrs Hodge said: “It’s important we remember those we have lost. Far too many young people are victims of youth violence.”

To add your name to the petition visit petition.parliament.uk/petitions/126329