'My OBE honour is only the beginning of our fight to save lives' - Mum of slain Wolverhampton teen Ronan Kanda reacts to King's honour

Pooja Kanda Mrs Kanda, aged 48, has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire after she took her fight to 10 Downing Street for changes in the law after her 16-year-old son was stabbed with a ninja sword yards in a case of mistaken identity yards from their home in Mount Road, Lanesfield in June 2022.

She is among scores of extraordinary people from across the region who have been honoured by the King to mark his official birthday in his third year on the throne.

Recipients from all walks of life have been rewarded for going above and beyond to help others achieve their own goals and improve communities and services.

Mrs Kanda the told the Express & Star: "To be recognised with an OBE means the world to me. I dedicate this honour to my son, Ronan. His legacy will live on and save lives as Ronan’s Law comes into effect this summer, banning the ninja sword and regulating online knife sales. However, our work is not done; this is only the beginning.” 

“The day I heard about the OBE, I held his picture. I shed tears. I know that the OBE is in my name, but this is for my son.

“I’m only here because of who he was. He was such a kind, loving, caring, not a son, not a brother, a human being, a person who everyone loved,” Mrs Kanda said.

She said she was driven to campaign after witnessing the trial of her son’s killers who had been able to buy knives without identity checks.

“During that court case, the revelation each day was how is this possible? How? How on earth are these types of weapons still available?

“No wonder my son didn’t stand a chance.”