Knife convictions rocket under Labour
Tom Lloyd
Friday, January 18, 2008
The number of young people convicted of carrying knives and other offensive weapons has more than doubled in the last decade.
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.
The number of defendants aged 18 and over convicted for carrying a weapon other than a knife rose from 8,554 to 11,845. And knife possession convictions increased from 2,878 to 5,058.
A spokeswoman for the Home Office said the figures show the police and courts are taking action to tackle knife crime.
"We recognise that young people particularly are fearful of becoming victims and some are carrying weapons," she said. "We will shortly publish our Tackling Violence Action Plan which will address these issues in detail."
