Knife-crime drop sparks confusion

THE Government last night refused to publish figures to prove knife crime is falling across Greater Manchester, despite claiming a drop in 10 hotspots across the country.

Although ministers claimed the number of young people carrying knives had fallen, no breakdowns were provided to back up the headline figure of a 27 per cent decrease.

Ministers said the proportion of police searches uncovering a weapon in the 10 areas signed up to the Tackling Knives Action Programme, which includes Greater Manchester, had halved between June and October.

The number of teenagers admitted to hospital for knife or sharp instrument wounding fell by 27 per cent between July and September, 2008, compared with the same period in 2007.

Serious knife crimes against young people fell by 17 per cent between June and October, 2008.

Police carried out more than 105,000 stop and searces in the five month period — an extra 10,000 every month — and seized 2,200 weapons.

Home Office figures published yesterday, six months into a year-long police crackdown, also found the number of young people admitted to hospital with stab wounds fell by more than a quarter between July and September compared with last year.

The number of serious injuries and deaths against youngsters in the same period fell by nearly a fifth.

The Government refused to break down the results of the study and a Home Office spokesman said it would not be available until the end of the scheme.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: “I am pleased to see that the tough, targeted action we are taking in 10 areas is making a real difference on the ground.

“More people are being stopped and searched, fewer knives are being found and if you do carry a knife you are three times more likely to be sent to prison.

“No-one should be in any doubt of the consequences of carrying a knife.”

Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed the figures, but added: “We have more to do.”

Mr Brown said it was important to send out the message to young people that it is “not cool, not smart, not macho” to carry a knife and that they are putting themselves in more danger by having one.

Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve warned that short-term measures would only achieve short-term results.

He added: “Knife offenders must face an automatic presumption of jail, not a slap on the wrist.”