Father of Rob Knox speaks out eleven years after shock stabbing

Rob Knox was just 18 when he was killed outside the Metro Bar in Sidcup on May 24. He was stepping in to protect his brother, Jamie, who was being intimidated by two men with knives.

In March 2009, Karl Norman Bishop, from Sidcup, was sentenced to life in prison for Rob’s murder.

Rob Knox

Since that horrific incident, Rob's family and friends have been fighting to combat knife crime through their aptly named action group, The Rob Knox Foundation.

Rob's father, Colin Knox, told the News Shopper that he still struggles with his loss and that the past ten years have been a difficult time for the whole family.

"For eight years I didn’t stop crying on a daily basis and I've only sort of come to terms with it in the last two years.

"It’s very emotional, you can’t do things normally.

"You have to create a new normal and that's what I live in now, my new normal," he said.

A budding actor before his death, Rob appeared in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as Marcus Belby, and was due to appear in the next instalment.

"We are fortunate we can do things with Rob’s legacy because of his role in Harry Potter.

"With our foundation, we have the dark and light side of the world. The dark side being the knife crime campaigning and the light side being our work within the arts through the Rob Knox film academy and the festival.

"I'm very proud of the legacy we've been able to create through that," said Mr Knox.

Daniel Radcliffe on set with Rob Knox during filming for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2008)

Now, his family and friends run an annual film festival in Rob's honour, showcasing short films submitted by creatives all over the world.

This year's

, is set to smash expectations with special video messages from legendary London actor, Ray Winstone, and Harry Potter director, David Yates, being screened to guests on the night.

Colin Knox with Ray Winstone

Speaking ahead of the event, Foundation member and childhood best friend to Rob, Aaron Truss, said that the festival has become an important part of preserving Rob's legacy considering his flourishing career in the film industry.

"I think it’s extremely important that its still going strong , considering 100 people have been killed by knife crime this year alone.

"It’s also incredibly crucial to the Bexley community.

"Rob was a damn good actor and it’s important to keep that spirit alive," he said.

This year's festival will be hosted by Rob's brother Jamie who has been heavily involved with the event since it's inception.