Trevor Ivory has expressed deep concern about new local knife crime statistics published by the Government, and called for action to tackle the growing menace.

The official figures published by the Home Office show that across Norfolk there were sixty-seven serious offences last year involving knives. 12% of all woundings, grievous bodily harm attacks and robberies were committed with a knife in the County.

Conservatives are calling for a series of urgent measures to reduce knife crime, which include:

·       Anyone convicted of carrying a knife should expect to receive a custodial sentence. Currently, the Government is planning to allow offenders carrying a knife to be let off with a fine in some circumstances.

·      Making it easier for police officers to stop suspects and search them for knifes and other weapons, and increasing use of mobile knife scanners on the streets and on public transport (as already being successful trialled in London by Boris Johnson).

·      Providing more custodial places for young offenders, and increasing support for drugs and education programmes, and tackling the causes of knife crime such as family breakdown, lack of school discipline and welfare dependency.

“Conservatives will start tackling this crime crisis by freeing our police from red tape and targets so they can be deployed on our streets to catch and deter criminals. We need stronger deterrent sentences, including a presumption of prison for those convicted of knife crime. And we will address the fundamental causes of crime like drugs and family breakdown.”