Warnings of the fatal dangers of a single punch have been issued by the police and the mum of a man killed on a night out in Wiltshire.

The new Walk Away campaign encourages people to think twice before getting into a fight that could leave them with a criminal record - and someone dead.

The campaign is backed by the mother of Wiltshire-born Freddie Fontete-Jones, who died two years ago from a single punch to the head.

Superintendent Guy Elkins said: “A split-second punch can end someone's life. 

And if this campaign leads to one decision being made where they walk away, or a friendship group removing an individual from a situation or apology being made, then the campaign has absolutely worked.”

The campaign provides targeted messaging in pubs, clubs, and places popular with 18 to 30 year-olds to encourage self-control and for friends to de-escalate situations when safe to do so.

Many situations start between people who do not know one-another over small triggers, such as an error in judgement, a spilled drink, or a rude comment.

Supt Elkins added: “This is about members of the public being aware that there is an alternative. 

“So rather than swinging a punch it is merely shrugging off the situation. 

“It is removing your friend who is acting adversely to what's taking place.”

But Supt Elkins also warned about the dangers of intervening in fights, saying: “Intervening or getting involved in an incident is not what I'm condoning and what I'm asking for. 

“I want people to make a decision to say, we don't have to make this escalate. It does not need to end in a fight.”

Freddie's tragic story has been used to highlight the risk.

Despite approaching a situation in Salisbury as a peacemaker, Fontete-Jones was punched in the side of his head by Connor Pool. He hit his head and died in hospital on February 22, 2022.

Pool was sentenced to nine years in prison for manslaughter, but Freddie's mum, Gifty Tetteh, is living with the pain every day.

She said: “In my mind I feel like, oh, maybe he's just going to wake up. So it took me a long time to process that. He's not coming back.

“I don't feel like that today, but just the pain hasn't gone away.”

She added: “My advice is if you go out and you have too much to drink and you know that what I have to drink is too much, just go home.”