Anger over number of knife deaths

Colin Knox and his ex-wife Sally have called for a mandatory minimum six-month jail sentence for people caught carrying knives.

They met with the Prime Minister and Home Secretary Alan Johnson on Monday to propose the plans.

A new report has revealed that the The Tackling Knives Action Programme (TKAP), launched in 10 police areas in July last year, saw a 17% reduction in knife-related violence against under-20s.

But the number of under-20s killed by a knife or sharp object did not change. There were 23 deaths during the time the scheme was running between July 2008 and March 2009, the same as during the equivalent period the previous year.

And a total of 103 people aged 20 or over were killed by a knife or sharp object during the scheme, compared to 96 in the same period before the programme was introduced.

Mr Knox said: "There are a lot of good things going on out there, but they're using TCP on a large open wound and they need to stitch it up. A mandatory custodial sentence would take the carrier off the street. If you take the perpetrator who carries a knife, and will be tomorrow's murderer, take him into an institution where you change his way of thinking and hopefully when he comes out his mindset has changed.

"Get them off the streets first, get the streets safer and deal with these people. Talk to them and see what they think about, change their way of thinking."

He envisages military-style institutions for knife crime offenders, and says the current threat of a maximum five-year sentence for carrying a bladed weapon does not send a "strong message" because it is discretionary.

The TKAP was launched after a series of high profile teenage stabbings including the 18-year-old actor's death hit the headlines. Despite the latest statistics The Home Office-led initiative will now be extended into a second phase, with £5 million available to the 10 original forces and six others.