Gangs ‘behind rise in child knife crime’

THE number of children caught with knives has risen by 16 per cent in a year, as experts say drug gangs are forcing young people to carry weapons so they themselves are not incriminated.

In the past year, the number of 10- to 17-year-olds caught with knives rose to 4,439 from 3,811 the year before. The number of adults carrying blades also increased from 15,239 to 16,059, official figures show.

Sarah Jones MP, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on knife crime, said “vicious criminal networks” were behind the rise.