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Serious knife crime falls in North

Jul 12 2009 by Phil Doherty, Sunday Sun

A man holding a knife

SERIOUS knife crime has fallen by 14 per cent since the region’s police forces began a clamp down on those carrying blades.

According to official figures there were 643 serious knife crimes in the region in 2008-09 compared with 752 in the previous year.

However, the true figure could be far higher because, according to the British Crime Survey, five out of six people attacked or threatened with a blade do not report it. Nor do the figures include possession of a knife.

Redcar’s Theresa Cave, of Mothers Against Violence, said: “Although the figures have dropped it doesn’t surprise me they are still high.

“They are brought before the law courts and the judiciary let them loose again to go and commit further offences.

“When did anyone last hear that someone carrying a knife has been sent to prison for statutory five years? Why bother making such a law if the judges are not going to carry it out?”

The knife statistics are for murder, attempted murder, wounding with intent to commit GBH and robbery.

The Home Office has now changed the counting rules and included threats to kill, actual bodily harm, sexual assault and rape in this year’s figures meaning no direct comparison can be made.

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