Figures released in response to a parliamentary question have shown a steady rise in the number of 10- to 17-year-olds being charged with possessing weapons. In 1997, 1,427 young people were convicted of carrying an offensive weapon other than a knife, but by 2006 this had risen to 2,916.
And the number of young people convicted of carrying a knife during that time nearly tripled, rising from 482 to 1,265.
A Home Office spokeswoman said the figures show the police and courts are taking action to tackle knife crime.
The government's Tackling Violence Action Plan, due this month, is expected to allocate significant additional money to anti-knife youth projects.
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