Sarah Lloyd has spent the last ten years without her son Kieran; he was murdered in broad daylight by a drug dealer. 22 year old Vilson has spent the last three years out of prison, where he was sent for using a knife in a gang attack.

Both now work as campaigners for knife crime awareness, using their own stories to make a difference in the lives of others. But Sarah's life is still empty without Kieran, and Vilson still resents the circumstances that led to his misguided youth.

Featuring testimonies from ex- and current gang members, an ex-gang leader, and the eye-witness of a knife murder, "Cut Short: Fighting Against Knives in the North" shares Vilson and Sarah's stories and follows their journey as they try to understand why young people in the UK are being persuaded to carry knives, and what the irreversible consequences are when a person makes the decision to use one.

The film provides a list of organisations who are dedicated to supporting young people concerned about gang culture, and current data on the true state of knife crime in the North, collated from FOI responses submitted by regional police constabularies.