Wild West UK: Knife killings highest since end of WW2
THE number of people stabbed to death on Britain’s streets has hit its highest level since records began in 1946.
There were 285 fatal stabbings in England and Wales in the year to March 2018 – up from 212 the previous year.
The bloodshed across the country, which has sparked comparisons with the Wild West, also saw the number of youths aged 16 to 24 killed rise from 105 to 152.
Male victims rose 38 per cent and female victims by a quarter, Office for National Statistics figures showed.
The number of black people fatally stabbed was 70 – the highest since this information was first recorded in 1997.
Black male victims aged 16 to 24 soared from 23 to 41, three-quarters of whom died in London. The capital saw its bloodiest year in a decade, with 134 murders and manslaughters.
However, Inverclyde was actually more deadly than London – with 14 homicides per 100,000 population, compared with 6.6 per 100,000 in the capital. The London boroughs of Islington and Newham saw the highest number of killings.
Diana Fawcett, of the charity Victim Support, said: ‘These figures further highlight the need for all agencies to come together to tackle this increasingcrisis which is destroying lives and shattering communities.’
Yvette Cooper, chairman of the home affairs select committee, said: ‘There is an urgent need for a more comprehensive strategy from the Government to help communities and the police to prevent this awful violence.
‘It’s worrying that, as cases … are rising, the number of suspects beingcharged … has been falling.’
John Apter, of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: ‘The consequences of cuts are clear for all to see. The police service is struggling to cope.’
But policing minister Nick Hurd said: ‘Tackling the impact of violent crime remains a government priority.
‘Since March, we have taken urgent and unprecedented action … and knife crime is stabilising in London and slowingin the rest of the country.’
‘Destroying lives and communities’