Cameron accused of stoking fear of crime with 'anarchy' claim

David Cameron was accused yesterday of playing to the public's worst fears over crime as he faced a backlash over his claim that Britain faces "anarchy in the UK".

The Conservative leader was branded "puerile" by the former Home Secretary David Blunkett, as the debate over violence and gang culture descended into a bitter political row.

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Mr Cameron told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "We are not going to deal with anarchy in the UK unless we actually strengthen families and communities in the UK."

He continued: "What we have to say is as well as being tough on knife crime or on yobbish behaviour so that if people cross the line and break the law they should be punished severely, as well as that traditional message that I think is important ... to look at the causes of crime and say what can we do to strengthen families, what can we do to strengthen communities."

But David Blunkett, the former Home Secretary, "These are desperate words from the man who wants to hug a hoodie. From a Leader of the Opposition, this is puerile.

"Rather than making comments that play to peoples' worst fears, he should be putting forward constructive ideas which add up to more than a vague appeal to make families more functional and communities more cohesive. Given the Tory record, this really does take the biscuit."

Mr Cameron returned to the political fray yesterday, launching a campaign to save district hospitals.

Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson, David Heath MP added: "Rational debate isn't helped by over-the-top rhetoric and fear-inducing slogans. Knife crime is a serious issue that deserves to be treated with more respect."

The Conservative leader made a scathing attack on Gordon Brown, blaming his decisions as Chancellor for everything from NHS closures and family breakdown to the pensions crisis and the cost of living.

Mr Cameron is expected to launch a fresh initiative on law and order later this week, as new research suggested that levels of knife crime had risen dramatically in the last year.

Fears of increasing lawlessness were stoked by research by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at King's College London suggested that the number of robberies in which a knife was used increased from 40,000 in 2005-06 to 64,000 in the 12 months to April.

The centre's director Richard Garside, said the statistics should be treated with caution: "If one wants to talk about anarchy, and there are 64,000 knife related robberies in a population of 50 million one needs to keep things in proportion."

A Home Office spokesman said: "Crime and violent crime have fallen by a third in the last 10 years while sharp instrument homicides have remained broadly stable.

Yesterday Jack Straw, the Secretary of State for Justice, welcomed moves to recruit senior Armed Forces and Police officers from ethnic minorities to work to help keep youths from being sucked into inner-city gang violence.

Mr Straw said: "It is absolutely right that the criminal justice system should be tough and effective. But the more that can be done to divert individuals from being dragged into this culture of violence and hopelessness, the better it is for everyone."