A knife victim whose face was slashed in a street attack has backed The Argus's Knives Cost Lives campaign.

Alex Summers' face and throat were cut when he and a friend were set upon in Brighton.

Now he hopes to work with young people to teach them about the risks of knife violence.

Mr Summers, now 26, was rushed to hospital with a severed artery after the attack near Regency Square, Brighton, in April 2006.

More than two years on he still has no movement on one side of his face because of damage to his nerves.

He finds it painful to eat because one of his salivary glands was cut in half.

Mr Summers said: "I'm glad to be alive.

"I can remember seeing the doctors' faces when I went into hospital.

"They didn't expect me to survive because of the blood loss."

He is now joining The Argus and campaigners nationwide in calling for action to stop the scourge of knives on the street.

He said: "I want to make people realise that if you are involved in knife crime and violent crime you're going to die. There are no two ways about it.

"I have recently become an uncle. I wonder what world the kids of my nephew's generation are going to grow up in?

"We need to stop it from happening and educate the next generation - start them young."

The Argus launched its campaign last week after Aaron Aymer was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing David Stunell.

We are calling on police, prosecutors, prisons and schools to take action.

The campaign is demanding: * a minimum sentence of two years for carrying a knife without a lawful reason * an early end to automatic early release for anyone convicted of knife crime * greater education to teach the simple message: Respect cannot be won with a blade.

Knives are at the top of the political agenda after a series of fatal stabbings of teenagers so far this year.

Mr Summers revealed his ambition to help educate young people as Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, defended plans to bring youngsters caught with knives face to face with the victims of stabbings.

Yesterday The Argus revealed fewer than a fifth of criminals convicted of carrying a knife are sent to prison.

The families of murder victims have demanded court use their full powers to punish knife offenders.

Nick Herbert, shadow justice secretary and MP for Arundel and South Downs, said: "Society has to send out a strong and unequivocal message that carrying knives without reasonable excuse is wrong."

To sign The Argus's petition to Home Office minister Tony McNulty, visit the knives cost lives section of this website.