The Prince of Wales on Friday vowed to back efforts to stop youngsters turning to knife crime and violence.
Prince William 41, proved a knockout but declined the chance to take part in a sparring contest with a young female boxer - who described to the prince how she turned her back on County Lines gangs.
After watching 18-year-old Jess Bryden practising in the ring, he said: “You’re very quick, I’ll be out of breath.”
Jess told the royal how she was exploited by vile County Lines gangs when she was 13-years-old.
But thanks to help from her parents, she turned her life around and now trains with UK’s top boxers in Sheffield and hopes to fight in the Olympics one day.
Parents Don Bryden, and Sarah Bryden, 52, set up charity BEST - Be A Better You with the aim of providing sports training and one-to-one mentoring which keeps teenagers and young adults out of trouble.
Don said afterwards that Britain was suffering a “knife crime pandemic”.
It comes just days after 15-year-old Elianne Andam was stabbed to death in Croydon, south London. The death on Wednesday shocked the nation.
A 17-year-old boy has been charged with murder and possession of a knife and remanded in custody after appearing in court.
Speaking to Jess at its HQ in Swindon, William said her journey in turning her life around was “very impressive”. But he turned down an offer to spar saying Jess could win with “one hand tied behind her back”.
He said sheepishly: “My boxing is nothing like that. I don’t box.
And jokingly added: “I’m happy just chatting with you to be honest.
“Hopefully if I talk to you long enough I don’t have to go into the ring.”
He asked her how she had transformed her life from “being rock bottom to now”, and hailed her transformation.
He said: “You have to be willing to want to do it yourself.”
Jess boxes out of Scrappers ABC gym but also trains with other Olympic and amateur hopefuls at Britain’s boxing HQ in Sheffield.
Charity BEST - Be A Better You supports local young people through mentoring, sports coaching and education programmes which help young people who are involved in areas including crime and gang violence take the necessary steps to improve their life.
Jess relayed her emotional story to the prince and described how her father’s charity changed her life around.
She was rescued after suffering an overdose and sectioned for mental health before moving away from Swindon for nine months to get clean then took up boxing.
Jess said afterwards: “I was mixed up in the wrong crowd and one thing led to another and I was taking drugs, started fighting, and involved in crime and criminal gangs.
“I was vulnerable and had no idea what I was involved in. It escalated.”
Jess told how she was sectioned and then taken away to Wales for her own protection.
She now mentors for the charity set up by her father to divert youths from crime.
She added: “It’s a lot harder these days for kids. I believe if you have a good, strict upbringing and parents are there to support you, that can help a lot.”
Her dad Don said: “I told the prince I was determined Jess would not be collateral damage.
“We spoke in depth about what the country is lacking is respect and morals.
“The prince spoke to the team and Jess about what brings individuals to become what we are trying to change which goes back to respect, honour and morals.
“Knife crime is a pandemic in Swindon, however it is also all over the country.”
Wills also paused to chat to boxing mentor Sam Stoddart, 32, who has a prosthetic leg after losing his left lower limb stepping on a mine in Afghanistan in 2012 while serving with the King’s Royal Hussars.
