Government shock tactics to combat knife crime

Young offenders caught with a knife are to be confronted with stabbing victims in an attempt to underline the horrors of carrying a weapon, under plans announced today by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

Young offenders caught with a knife are to be confronted with stabbing victims in an attempt to underline the horrors of carrying a weapon, under plans announced today by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

Mrs Smith unveiled a series of shock tactics including visits to A&E wards where people are being treated for knife wounds, meetings with the families of stabbing victims, and prison visits to offenders jailed for knife offences.

The measures are part of the Government's initial response to last week's horrific spate of knife attacks which culminated in the killing of four people in London in the space of 24 hours.

However the Home Secretary rejected Tory demands that anyone caught carrying a knife should expect to go to prison.

"It is simplistic and wrong to pretend that prison is an easy answer to all of society's problems," she said.

"The police, as well as judges and community leaders don't want every single young person found carrying a knife jailed, especially when we know that tough community sentences including community payback, supervision and electronically monitored curfews are more likely to stop them carrying knives in the future."

Mrs Smith disclosed that she had written to all 43 chief constables in England and Wales reminding them of their powers to require pubs or clubs associated with knife or gun problems to search customers on entry.

Orders have been issued to licensing authorities to crackdown heavily on premises that allow underage drinking, and trading standards officers have been told to make test purchases as a matter of priority to ensure shops are not selling knives to underage youngsters.

The measures will be focused particularly on eight "hotspot" police areas - London, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire, Essex and Thames Valley.

Mrs Smith said that she would be working with Justice Secretary Jack Straw to see what could be done to highlight offences handed down for for knife offences in those areas.

At the same time, Health Secretary Alan Johnson is urging strategic health authorities to look at ways that hospitals and other NHS organisations can work with police, including reporting knife-related incidents, without compromising patient confidentiality.

"I am absolutely shocked at the tragic and senseless loss of life we have seen recently. I want to reassure everyone that the Government is taking the issue of knife crime very seriously," Mrs Smith said.

"I am particularly concerned about the young age of offenders and victims - that is why today I am again emphasising what action we have taken and what new action we are demanding."

Today's announcement comes ahead of the publication on Tuesday of the Government's £100 million crime action plan to be launched by Mrs Smith, Mr Straw and Children's Secretary Ed Balls.

It will include new enforcement and early prevention measures as well as "tough parenting programmes" and youth activities targeted on areas with the worst problems.

In other measures, Mrs Smith promised more street-based teams of youth workers to deter young people from becoming involved in crime and an extension of Operation Staysafe which uses existing child protection legislation to remove young people from the street late at night for their own and the community's safety.