A MURDERED teenager's parents hope his Harry Potter film role will sharpen the focus on knife crime in the United Kingdom.

Rob Knox was stabbed to death in a fight outside the Metro Bar in Station Road, Sidcup, in the early hours of Saturday.

The 18-year-old had planned to go into acting full time after landing the role of Marcus Belby in the next Harry Potter film.

Mr Knox said: "Rob was so popular because of his popularity in Harry Potter, bringing a larger media attention to the problems of knife carrying.

"If that serves the purpose, then hopefully Robert will have done something else exceptional in his short life."

Angel on earth'

The 55-year-old added: "With knives there are no winners and only losers.

"If you are a person who carries a knife, think about the consequences before you carry the knife.

"But if you carry a knife there's the intention to use it, so please don't do that for the sake of my son."

Addressing the recent wave of knife crime in the capital Mr Knox said it was a political issue and added: "There's a lot of fear out there and basically someone has to change the way we think."

He described his son as "an angel on earth without wings" and said he and his wife have moved into denial and "Sally had run out of tears".

Rob's mother Sally has thanked everyone who had supported their family since the incident.

Reading from a statement she said: "It's impossible to convey the sadness and loss that we all feel, but we now realise Rob touched many people's lives.

"Rob was a happy, outgoing and a fun person to be with, he was the social hub of his large circle of friends.

"Rob always put everyone before himself, he was always the first person to stand up against wrong.

"He achieved so much in his short life."

Mobile phone row could have been cause of attack

The fight broke out just after midnight on Saturday (May 24) when a man came to the bar armed with two knives and was seen waving one of them around through the window.

Four teenagers as well as Rob were injured.

He and his younger brother Jamie were reportedly trying to protect each other during the fight.

Their friends Tom Hopkins, 18, and Tarik Ozress, 17, managed to pin the armed man down, wrestling with him for several minutes before police arrived.

Tom, who plays football for Southend United youth team, was stabbed in the head during the struggle.

Rob was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, and was pronounced dead around 1am.

During the fight Nick Jones, 19, was also stabbed in the hand and Charlie Grimley, 17, was stabbed in the cheek and arm.

Dean Saunders, 21, was stabbed in the neck and remains in hospital.

Friends said there had been a row over a phone last week and they believe this could have been a revenge attack.

Sporty brothers were best friends

Rob had gained A-Levels at Beths Grammar School and excelled at sport including martial art, Tae Kwon Do and rugby.

When asked about how he feels about whoever killed her son Mrs Knox, of Maidstone Road, Sidcup, said: "I feel completely numb about this person, as long as they're caught and they're punished so they can never do this to anyone else, I don't spend a lot of time thinking about it."

Rob's brother Jamie, 17, who is an Olympic hopeful in Tae Kwon Do, said: "My relationship with Rob was a very strong one.

"We'd do almost everything together and he just took me everywhere he went.

"He was just my best friend."

Mr and Mrs Knox and Jamie all visited the place where Rob died yesterday.

His uncles and grandmother also laid flowers where the teenager lost his life.

A post-mortem examination took place at the Princess Royal University Hospital yesterday (May 25).

It showed the teenager's death was caused by internal bleeding as a result of stab injuries.

  • A 21-year-old man arrested in connection with the attack is still in custody.

Officers were given a 24-hour extension by magistrates yesterday to enable further questioning of the suspect.

  • To add your tributes to Rob Knox or messages of condolence click here