Police arrested 14 youths carrying knives every day last year

Shocking figures show 14 children were found with a knife every day last year.

Police data released under Freedom of Information requests shows 5,239 young people under the age of 18 were arrested with bladed weapons last year in England and Wales. The figures, obtained by Labor, show an 84% increase in the number of children carrying blades since 2018, when 2,879 incidents were recorded.

The actual total is likely higher as 12 forces have not provided figures, including the Metropolitan Police, Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

It comes as concern mounts following a series of high-profile knife attacks, including the conviction of two 12-year-old boys for the murder of Shawn Seesahai in a machete attack in the West Midlands.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has pledged that Labour will transform the lives of teenagers – as Tony Blair’s government did for babies and young children with its Sure Start programme. She said: “Young people have been badly let down by successive Conservative governments who have failed to keep them safe.

“Knife crime is on the rise, there is a mental health crisis in our schools and gangs have easy access to dangerous knives and weapons online. The Conservatives have completely ignored crime prevention and it is too often young people who pay the price. Labor will change that. »

Labor has promised to deliver a Young Futures programme, which aims to prevent knife crime before it grows among young people.
The program provides for the creation of a network of 100 new youth centers, youth workers placed in emergency departments, detention centers and student referral units, as well as stricter measures when young people are found with a knife.

The Mirror is campaigning to end the knife crime epidemic.
Our main demands include tougher powers for the police, reversing Tory cuts to youth services and greater action in schools.