Five people a week stabbed to death

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Statistics obtained by Tory spokesman James Brokenshire from police forces in England and Wales revealed there were 277 knife murders between April 2007 and April 2008.

If confirmed, the number will be the highest since records began 30 years ago and represent a rise of 38% since 1999.

The previous highest stabbing total was 265 in 2002-2003 and the death toll for 2006-2007 was 258.

The figures were released under the Freedom of Information Act from all but one force, Bedfordshire. Stabbing murders in London rose by a quarter, up from 68 in 2006-7 to 86 last year, the figures showed.

In both West Yorkshire and Northumbria fatal stabbings rose from ten to 15 and in Lancashire they more than trebled from four in 2006-7 to 13 last year.

The figures may change before their official release in the New Year if the police or the courts decide some homicides should be reclassified.

But the raw data is likely to reignite the debate about Government efforts to crack down on knife crime.

Shadow home affairs minister Mr Brokenshire said: "Knife crime is a scourge which claims too many lives and ruins countless others. Yet under Labour it has soared.

"The Government's only response is short term, ad-hoc police operations, the results of which they spin and manipulate anyway to try and get a good story. 2009 must herald a new approach."