A MARTIAL arts expert is providing classes to youngsters and adults on how to protect themselves ag-ainst knife attacks.

Karate black-belt Martin Yankey says he has been inundated with requests about how to combat the growing threat posed by knives.

In the past few weeks alone there has been a doorstep robbery in Accrington, a siege in Blackburn, two Brierfield men convicted of stabbing a shopkeeper and a murder investigation in Darwen, all involving knives.

Martin, 23, who runs Aspire Martial Arts, said: "I've noticed the number of knife attacks in the news just recently.

"And I've got about 300 students in the Blackburn and Darwen area.

"So I thought about staging some classes on knife defence for people who are concerned.

"The first thing we teach people is to get out of there as quickly as possible, if someone has got a knife, to avoid a confrontation. If they have got you backed into a corner then we will be teaching people how to disarm a person, keeping the blade as far from your body as you can.

"There are certain techniques which will do this and it might just save their life in the very near future."

He stresses that the martial arts manoeuvres employed in disarming would-be attackers are purely used for self-defence purposes and should not be abused.

Martin, who is originally from Bolton, runs classes at Wensley Fold Primary School, Blackburn, The Redeemer School at Ewood and Craiglands Hall in Watery Lane, Darwen, for youngsters up to adults.

He has been involved in martial arts for much of his life and is a second-dan black-belt.