THE statistics we reveal today about the number of weapons seized from pupils in schools – and the high proportion in this district – will be a cause for concern for all parents.

That the figures come less than a year after a Bradford teacher was stabbed by one of his pupils exacerbates that unease.

The teacher hurt in that attack is himself alarmed by the revelation that almost half of the 48 recorded incidents of weapons being confiscated from children in West Yorkshire happened in Bradford.

And the authorities would be wise to listen to Vincent Uzomah’s call for an education campaign to discourage anyone from carrying weapons.

He rightly says more needs to be done to research the reasons why children and adults who carry weapons feel compelled to do so, and to discover where they have got them from in the first place.

Although the actual numbers are relatively low – 23 in the Bradford district last year – they do represent a very significant increase.

The majority of weapons seized have been knives, but knuckledusters, baseball bats, iron bars and CS spray have also been discovered.

Something has to be done to reverse this growing trend. Mr Uzomah has experienced first-hand the horrific trauma that can result from weapons being taken into the classroom. What he has to say about this makes absolute sense, and his thoughts on this issue must be harnessed for the good of everyone in our schools.