Government admits 'more must be done' to tackle knife crime

According to BBC research, knife attacks accounted for 27 of the 54 homicide investigations made public in Yorkshire last year.

At least 17 fatal stabbings happened in West Yorkshire last year, the research suggested.

The youngest to die was 15-year-old Alfie Lewis.

As reported by the Telegraph & Argus, the much-loved teenager was attacked near a school in Horsforth in November.

Police chiefs in West Yorkshire described such serious cases as "shocking" - and said much work was taking place to combat knife crime.

'Give young people their future back'

Yvette Cooper, Shadow Home Secretary, accused the Tories of "failing to act" on the issue.

"Too many families and communities across Yorkshire are dealing with the devastation of knife crime," she said.

"West Yorkshire police are working hard but we urgently need Government action.

"Some of the steepest rises have been in towns and suburbs across the country but Conservative ministers are failing to act - and a generation of young people is being let down.

"Labour is calling for stronger laws and major new prevention programmes for teenagers so we halve knife crime within a decade and give young people their future back."

Knife crime is a big concern for many people locally and nationally

In response, a Government spokesperson said: "Knife crime tears families apart - and we know more needs to be done.

"Though hospital admissions for assault by a sharp object have fallen by 25 per cent across England and Wales, we remain committed to further intervention measures.

"Through our Criminal Justice Bill, police will be given new powers to seize, retain and destroy knives found on private properties that are likely to be connected with unlawful violence.

"We are also banning zombie-style knives and more knife-carrying criminals are being given tougher sentences."

"West Yorkshire Police funding will be up £615.5million in 2024-25, an increase of up to £40.7m when compared to 2023-24," the spokesperson added.

Hundreds of weapons taken off streets 

Alison Lowe, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime in West Yorkshire, said hundreds of weapons were taken off our streets last year through educating young people about the dangers of knives.

She said: "Every single life lost to violent crime is one too many - causing devastation for families and communities alike.

"We are working hard with West Yorkshire Police to address this, with our Violence Reduction Partnership delivering a range of interventions and education programmes, with a heavy youth focus.

"Educating young people around the dangers of carrying and using a knife is key and this work helped take over 300 weapons off our streets last year.

"We will continue to work together tirelessly to create a safer, fairer West Yorkshire."

Chief Inspector James Kitchen, of West Yorkshire Police, added: "A huge amount of work remains ongoing in West Yorkshire to reduce knife crime and particularly knife offences involving young people. 

"Serious offences involving young people in particular are shocking and rightly raise concerns among residents both in West Yorkshire and nationally when they occur. 

"It must be remembered, though, that the vast majority of our young people do not carry knives and are not involved in this kind of offending.   

"It is no exaggeration to say that police and partners have now engaged with tens of thousands of young people across West Yorkshire about the dangers of carrying knives.

"We are confident the vast majority of those teenagers don't, and won't, carry knives. 

"We and our partners in the Violence Reduction Partnership continue to work with partners to reach the minority who do carry weapons to understand why they feel they must do so, and the culture and pressures which drive this.

"Clearly this work goes far beyond policing, and this is a process which will take a long time and need a great deal of support from communities. 

"Strong enforcement work continues at all levels to seize weapons and prosecute those who carry them, and we welcome newly-announced changes in legislation banning more kinds of bladed weapons. 

"We will be working hard to enforce these new measures as they come into effect."