MUM HOPES HARROWING POSTER COULD SAVE LIVES AT XMAS

Crime reporter FOREVER haunted by the death of her beloved son, Maxine Thompson-Curl finds it hard to look at this harrowing image.

But the campaigner is urging police forces across the UK to display the shocking poster in the run-up to Christmas.

It has now been more than seven years since Kristian lost his life at just 19. He suffered head injuries in an attack at a Consett club and died 10 months later.

Since then, Maxine has dedicated her life to raising awareness of just how much damage one punch can cause.

And as the Christmas party season approaches she is determined to do all she can to help prevent other families suffering the same devastation.

The 53-year-old, who runs the One Punch UK campaign group has now contacted every police force and police and crime commissioner in the country asking them to use a poster produced in collaboration with Durham Constabulary.

The poster shows the shape of a body covered in a sheet lying on a morgue trolly.

It has the caption ‘Punched out Cold’ and the slogan ‘Stop- Think- Walk Away’.

Maxine admits she finds the image dis-

Maxine Thompson - Curl tressing, but hopes it could save lives.

She said: “I still find it difficult to look at when I think that my son was on that slab. But it is very dramatic. When I look at it it absolutely hits home. I try not to look but I can’t help it. It still shocks me, so hopefully it will have the same effect on others.

“Around Christmas time people are going to go out and have too much to drink and forget the consequences.

“I just sit at home and hope no one is going to suffer like I did. it’s got to stop.”

Maxine set-up One Punch North East as a campaigning group in 2014.

Kristian Thompson It has gone nationwide and become a registered charity.

As well as producing posters and campaigns Maxine has spoken to thousands of schoolchildren at schools across the region about what happened to her son.

Mark Berry was jailed for 28 months for assault. Earlier, an inquest into Kristian’s death returned an open verdict.

Judge Howard Crowson said that Berry had become “morally responsible” for Kristian’s death in the eyes of local community, despite legally not being responsible. The hard-hitting poster