MPs across the district have reacted with horror at the high number of knives which are continuing to be seized from people on their way into Bradford's two court buildings.

A total of 126 knives were confiscated from people during security searches over the course of a year, the Telegraph & Argus can reveal.

Keighley MP Kris Hopkins called the figures "an appalling discovery", while Bradford East MP Imran Hussain said it was clear the courts' security gates were proving no deterrent to people carrying knives, and that he would now raise the matter with Justice Secretary Michael Gove.

Last year, the Telegraph & Argus revealed people tried and failed to smuggle more than 170 knives into the Combined Court and the Bradford and Keighley Magistrates' Courts buildings over a 12-month period.

Now new data, released to the T&A under the Freedom of Information Act for 2014/15, shows there is still a high number of knives being seized at the buildings' security gates.

At Bradford Combined Court in Drake Street, which contains Crown and County Courts, guards found six knives with blades larger than 3ins - the legal limit for a knife carried in public - as well as 98 smaller knives while searching people and bags.

They also found 114 tools which were deemed to pose a potential hazard, as well as 88 sharps.

Meanwhile, at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court and Family Court in The Tyrls, guards found 22 knives, including one with a blade larger than 3ins.

They also seized 16 sharps and 51 tools deemed hazardous.

Mr Hussain, Labour MP for Bradford East, who trained as a barrister, said: “Although it is clear that security at the courts is proving to be effective in preventing weapons and other items from being taken into the buildings, it is evident from the high number of items seized that it is not deterring individuals from bringing such items in the first place, despite it being apparent to any reasonable person that they will be caught.

"We therefore need to look at whether the Government are doing enough on deterrence measures to ensure the security of our courts and the safety and reliability of our judicial processes, and I will be taking up such matters with the Justice Secretary."

Mr Hopkins, Conservative MP for Keighley, said: "This is an appalling discovery and full credit to the Telegraph & Argus for pursuing these statistics with vigour.

"There can be no viable reason for the average person to walk our streets carrying a knife and for someone to turn up at court with a knife on their person almost beggars belief.

"I am pleased that security arrangements at both courthouses are sufficiently stringent to find these weapons.

"But the message must go out that knifes have no place in public places and, alongside the police, I know the Home Secretary is determined to do all she can to tackle knife crime."

Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies said it was "quite extraordinary" that someone should try to take knives into a crown court building.

He said: "You couldn't make it up. You wonder what on earth they were thinking of to try to take such weapons into the crown court, of all places, and what they were planning to do with them.

"Whatever the reason, it is particularly concerning that illegal knives have been taken to court.

"I would be interested to know what happened to the people caught in possession of these weapons. I would like to think they were charged, prosecuted and sentenced."

Mr Davies said on the positive side, the seizures showed security at the courts was working.

Judith Cummins, Labour MP for Bradford South, said: “This is extremely disturbing, as is the increase in knife crime last year reversing years of a falling trend. Carrying of a knife is a serious matter wherever and whenever it occurs.

"More needs to be done to overcome a culture of knife carrying, to challenge the perception that carrying a knife is in any way anything other than a serious criminal offence, and police forces need to have the resources to tackle the problem effectively."

Bradford West Labour MP Naz Shah said she did not want to comment.

It is illegal to carry a knife in public without good reason, unless it is a knife with a folding blade 3ins long or less.

The courts service has said that if an item is illegal, the security officer will confiscate it and call the police, who will decide whether to arrest the individual.

Illegal items are passed on to the police.

People can ask to have smaller knives such as penknives returned at the end of their visit, although most are unclaimed and are also handed to the police.

A spokesman for the HM Courts and Tribunals Service said: "HM Courts and Tribunals Service has a robust security and safety system to protect all court users and the judiciary.

"The system includes mandatory bag searches, the use of modern security searching equipment and surveillance cameras, as well as Court Security Officers with the powers to restrain and remove people from the building should there be a need.

"Our security system is continually monitored to ensure that it is effective and proportionate and mitigates against the risks faced."

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman added: "Carrying a knife in public is a criminal offence and all incidents involving knives are treated very seriously."

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