Facebook bosses should be arrested over 'disgusting' knifing game, says uncle of stabbed Harry Potter actor

Anti-knife crime campaigners have attacked the social networking website Facebook today for allowing a "disgusting" knifing game.

Members of the popular site have been using a blade icon to virtually "shank" - a street term meaning stab - other users.

The virtual knife threat features in Facebook's "Superpoke!" application, which allows users to send virtual actions such as hugs, kisses and winks to any other user.

The shank icon now appears to have been removed from Facebook. The icon showed a knife with a silver blade and black handle.

John Knox, uncle of Rob Knox, the Harry Potter actor who was stabbed to death in May, said the website was "disgusting" and that the game targeted young thugs who carried knives.

'Why the hell would a social networking site for teenagers put something like this forward?', Mr Knox told the Sun newspaper.

'If the authorities really want to get tough on knife crime, the CEO or directors of Facebook should be arrested for inciting violence.

'The stupidity of having this on their site is unbelievable. And they deliberately use the street term "shanked", which is even worse. They are targeting the kids who are on street corners carrying knives.'

Members can use the shank icon on anyone else with a Facebook profile, who will then receive a message saying they have been "shanked".

Harry Potter actor Rob Knox was fatally stabbed to death in May

Raymond Stewart of anti-crime group Urban Concepts said: 'It's appalling. We completely condemn it.'

The Superpoke! application is not created by Facebook, but by an American software company called Slide.com, and hosted on the social networking site.

It is one of many software applications created by third-party companies that users can download for free and add to their profiles.

Superpoke! is a big hit with teenagers and one of the most popular applications on Facebook.

A spokeswoman for Facebook said: 'The story refers to an application called Superpoke made by Slide.

'Slide have actually removed the "shank" option from Superpoke.'