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Police to have extra powers to crack down on knives and guns

15/01/2008

Gordon Brown has said that Greater Manchester Police will be instructed to take a more firm stand against people carrying knives and guns in public.

In an interview with the Sun newspaper, Mr Brown said police officers in 12 hotspots, which also include, London, Liverpool and Birmingham, will have the powers to enforce a zero-tolerance policy.

Official figures show there were 5,500 serious crimes involving knives within a three-month period in 2007, with Manchester one of the worst-affected areas.

The prime minister told the paper: "We have to send out a message and reinforce it with action. It is completely unacceptable to carry a knife or a gun.

"Where police have previously been cautioning people, there now has to be a presumption of prosecution."

Mr Brown also said he was "very worried" about the impact violent video and computer games are having on society.

Last year, Manchester Cathedral was at the centre of a controversy when it was discovered that Sony had used it to stage a bloody alien gun battle.

Church leaders condemned it as insensitive considering the history of gun crime in Manchester.