Slain actor's kin want knife crackdown

LONDON, May 26 (UPI) -- The family of a slain British actor soon to be seen in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" has called for tougher penalties for youths who carry knives.

Robert Knox, 18, was stabbed to death early Saturday morning outside a bar in southwest London, police said. A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Knox plays Ravenclaw student Marcus Belby in the upcoming sixth "Harry Potter" film. He reportedly also had signed on to appear in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

Police told The Times of London that Knox was stabbed while trying to protect his younger brother Jamie from a man with two knives during a dispute.

Knox was the ninth teenager stabbed to death in London this year, The Times noted.

The actor's father Colin told the newspaper the last conversation he had with Robert was about the danger of knives.

"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," he said, adding that the increase in knife crimes is a political issue. "There's a lot of fear out there and basically someone has to change the way we think."