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One in five violent crimes 'involve knives'

17/07/2008

One in every five violent crimes committed in England and Wales during the last year involved a knife, official figures have shown.

According to the Home Office there were 22,151 offences – including attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and robbery - involving a knife in 2007/08.

Since last year the British Crime Survey (BCS) has recorded knife attacks separately in light of public concern.

Last year 27 teenagers were murdered in London alone, while in 2008 so far the death-toll currently stands at 20.

Earlier this week the government unveiled its youth crime action plan, while Gordon Brown has pledged new legislation to crack down on young people caught carrying knives.

Speaking at No 10 ahead of the release of the BCS and separate police recorded crime figures the prime minister said he was 'determined' to halt the prevalence of knives on Britain's streets.

"If you have a knife you will be prosecuted, if you are caught with a knife you will be punished," he insisted.

Since this is the first year knife crime statistics have been collated separately, there is no previous data to compare today's figures against.

But the government has welcomed the headline figure, that overall crime has fallen by ten per cent over the year.

According to the BCS the risk of becoming a victim of crime has fallen from 24 per cent to 22 per cent – the lowest since results began in 1981.

Falls in offences have been recorded by police for each main crime type with the exception of drug offences, which were up 18 per cent, while firearms offences rose by two per cent.

Home secretary Jacqui Smith said the government's priority was to build on what had been achieved in the past 12 months.

"We are firmly committed to deliver further reductions in the crimes that most concern people, particularly violence involving knives and guns. Whilst the BCS shows violence falling by 40 per cent since 1997, with a 12 per cent fall in the last year alone, we also know that knives are still being used in the most serious violent incidents," she explained.

"The Youth Crime Action Plan published this week is just one part of a comprehensive package of tough enforcement and intensive prevention measures we have put in place to tackle violent crime wherever it occurs."