We must all battle knife crime curse

EVERY week we hear another shocking tale about knife crime.

The latest terrifying figures show there were 43,516 such offences in the year to March 2019. In the past five years offences are up 80 per cent.

Of the nation’s 44 police forces 43 recorded a rise in knife crime since 2011. It feels like we say this a lot – something needs to be done. The Government has promised action. But their latest attempts were not up to scratch.

Last month, more than 321,000 chicken boxes featuring the Government’s #knifefree campaign were distributed to 210 takeaway shops.

Policing Minister Kit Malthouse said: “These chicken boxes will bring home to thousands of young people the tragic consequences of carrying a knife and challenge the idea that it makes you safer.”

Scourge

But Labour’s Diane Abbott said the Home Office had “opted for yet another crude, offensive and probably expensive campaign.” Instead she calls for a joined-up, sensible campaign based on a public health model.

That means police working with the NHS, social services, parents and youth services.

Everyone, including retailers, must get involved to end this scourge. Today our investigation shows there are still stores not taking this crime seriously.

Selling a 16-year-old a knife is irresponsible and shows an ignorance of the scale of the problem. Knife crime is becoming one of the country’s most serious issues.

This is a problem that needs a grown-up solution. And it needs all of us to do our part to solve it.