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Knife crime convictions rise by 60%
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The number of criminals convicted for carrying a knife has increased by more than half in ten years, it has been revealed.
The data shows how many successful prosecutions there were for possessing a knife or bladed object in every police force area in England and Wales.
In 1998, there were 3,805 convictions, but in 2007, the last year for which figures are available, the total hit 6,169 - a rise of more than 60%
West Yorkshire police recorded a huge rise of 400% - from 38 to 190. Surrey police recorded an increase of more than 220%, and in Suffolk the rise was 300%. Only Northamptonshire and Kent recorded falls.
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling - who uncovered the figures through Parliamentary questions - said they were "awful" for the Government.
He said: "Knife crime blights our society. The figures are awful for the Government as they show yet again how Labour Ministers have failed to get knives off our streets.
"We have to create a real disincentive for people who carry knives, and the fact that the supposed tough sentences just aren't happening sends out all the wrong messages. The Government also needs to stop wrapping up our police in unnecessary paperwork and get more officers back on to the streets."
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said the figures revealed a knife crime "epidemic".
He said: "These figures highlight the knife crime epidemic sweeping the country. However, they are only the tip of the iceberg. Labour's continuing quest to sound tougher than the Tories is doing nothing to get knives off our streets. The key to stopping knife crime is to increase the likelihood of being caught, through intelligence-led stop and search and hotspot policing."
