Met chief blasts courts for letting knife thugs go free

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The Met chief said in one week last month, out of 24 young people who appeared in court for carrying a knife, only one was jailed. Out of 29 adults just eight were jailed, one of them for a day.

Sir Ian accused magistrates and the court system of failing to take notice of the concerns of the community.

He added: "Young people must fear that if they are caught carrying a knife there is a strong possibility of being jailed and based on this set of figures that is not happening."

The Commissioner said he was writing to raise the issue formally with the London Criminal Justice Board, which co-ordinates the work of police, prosecutors and the courts.

His figures covered the week beginning 16 June and concerned people arrested under the Met's Operation Blunt campaign to halt knife crime.

Sir Ian stressed: "I am not saying that everyone who is caught carrying a knife should be locked up because the numbers are just too many.

"But I do think you should say that there is a strong possibility that you will receive a custodial sentence."

The Magistrates' Association said this afternoon that they were working within guidelines and had no idea Sir Ian was to comment on knife crime sentencing.

Chairman Cindy Barnett said: "Of course we take knife crime cases seriously- - magistrates are also members of the community and affected by concerns about knife crime as much as anyone else.

"We look at the circumstances of each offence and offender and sentence accordingly with assistance from sentencing guidelines and recent case law which always takes prevalence as a factor."