21 April
Christopher Alaneme, 18, died after a stab attack when leaving a restaurant in Sherness, Kent. Five people have been arrested and released on bail in connection with the inquiry.
26 January
Dr. Barbara Johnston, 55, was found in her flat in North Oxford by police. She had been stabbed 49 times. The academic had moved from
New Zealand
in September.
Scotland | 14 July 2006 | 11:46
|
Over 100,000 knives returned during national knife amnesty. Police in Scotland, England and Wales had over 100,000 knives handed over during the five-week amnesty which ended on 30 June. The Home Office said exactly 89,864 knives were surrendered in England and Wales and some 12,645 knives In Scotland. Home office minister Vernon Coaker said in an interview he was “delighted” with the high number of knives collected and that the public could feel “more secure” with less knives on the streets. |
Sociologist and lecturer at the University of York Simon Winlow said the focus on knives was merely a 'fashion in concern' about violence.
"At the moment our concern is about knife crime, but there are staggering levels of violence in British society that don’t involve knives."
He said the contemporary concern with knife crime will quickly subside.
"Violence however does not subside."
Across the country 220 sealed red bins were put in place at police stations, which allowed people to voluntarily turn in knives without prosecution.
The bins contained a variety of weapons including lock knives, cut-throat razors, machetes, swords, meat cleavers, axes and even an 1880 bayonet.
The knives seized will either be recycled or sent to Cardiff where they will be crushed and melted down for steel rods to be used in new buildings.
During the knife amnesty 24 people were killed by stabbing in Britain, including a 15-year-old boy who got stabbed after getting off a bus in South London, and a 19-year-old boy who was attacked on a train in Cumbria.
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