Knife crime on rise due to 'teenagers made vulnerable by pandemic'

It said the pandemic made teenagers "more vulnerable".

A report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the number of people killed with a knife in England and Wales in 2021/22 was the highest for 76 years.

The ONS said the increase was driven by an 18 per cent rise in the number of male victims, from 184 to 218, in the 12 months to March 2022.

The largest increase was for teenage boys aged 16 to 17, rising from ten killings to 24.

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It comes as a 16-year-old boy was left with "life-threatening injuries” after being stabbed outside McDonald's in Worthing town centre on Monday.

He remains in a serious condition.

Patrick Green, chief executive of anti-knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust, which was set up in 2008 following the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Ben in north London, cited the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic as a reason for knife crime rising faster among teenagers than any other age group.

A knife at the scene of the stabbing in Worthing on Monday (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

Mr Green said: “As we emerged from Covid restrictions and those restrictions were lifted, we were seeing more evidence of young people made more vulnerable by Covid.

“Gangs are particularly good at picking up on vulnerabilities, are quick to pick them up and indeed lure young people and exploit them in criminal acts.

“We think there could be a link there.”

Mr Green highlighted data from the ONS report that shows knives or sharp objects were used in 75 per cent of teenage murders compared with 40 per cent in adults.

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Through education workshops, Mr Green said the trust has seen a “notable difference” in interactions with young people after the pandemic.

He added: “Some feel less secure in their community spaces, more worried. We know that fear is a factor in terms of carrying a knife. It’s one of the motivations. They feel safe carrying a knife and that alleviates the fear.”

Mr Green said solutions must tackle “a range of drivers for knife crime that reach deep into our society”.

Police at the scene in Worthing on Monday (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

"We’ve got to not only tackle drugs and gangs, we’ve also got to tackle school exclusions, we’ve also got to tackle mental health provisions for young people," he said.

“Ben was murdered 15 years ago. A generation of people have grown up in knife crime. We probably need to put in place the measures to eradicate knife crime for at least a generation. This isn’t a sticking plaster, we need a cure.

“The pervasiveness of knife crime has been under-estimated for too long. We need a more robust public health response to tackle this problem or else we will continue to lose precious young lives to this heinous crime.”

Sir Peter Bottomley has been an MP since 1975

The ONS analysed data held by the Home Office Homicide Index, which contains detailed information about each killing recorded by police in England and Wales.

Sir Peter Bottomley, MP for Worthing West, said: “I was briefed by police about a serious knife attack in Worthing.

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“I echo the words of the police: If anyone was a witness or feels they have information that is potentially significant, please give it to the police without hesitation or delay. If necessary, contact the police on 101.

“Residents must feel safe where they live and able to go about their daily activities with peace of mind and the protection of the police.

“We share in thanks to the police for the work they do. My heart goes out to those who have been affected by this serious altercation."