‘Knife Asbos’ delayed by Lib Dem protests

TOUGH new ‘knife Asbos’ planned for children as young as 12 were pulled by the Government last night after the Liberal Democrats opposed them in the House of Lords.

Home Office minister Baroness Williams withdrew amendments to the Offensive Weapons Bill that would have meant children caught with knives could have had their use of social media banned by the courts. Judges would also have been able to impose strict curfews to keep thugs off the streets. Breaching the orders would have carried up to two years’ imprisonment.

However, Lib Dem peer Lord Paddick, the former Met commander, said the orders risked criminalising young people.

It is a setback for Home Secretary Sajid Javid less than a week after he outlined bringing in Knife Crime Prevention Orders – dubbed ‘knife Asbos’ after the anti-social behaviour order introduced by Labour in 1998. It came amid growing public horror over the bloody violence on the streets of ‘Wild West Britain’, with knife crime soaring 8 per cent in the year to September to 39,919 incidents – including 276 killings.

However, the Government has vowed to reintroduce the amendment within weeks.

A Home Office spokesman said last night: ‘The aim is to stop vulnerable young people from becoming involved in knife crime by tackling the causes of why they are carrying a knife.’