Figures released by the Office For National Statistics reveal that knife-enabled crime in England and Wales has risen by 4% in the year ending June 2024, with police recording 50,973 offences.
This marks a significant 80% increase over the past decade.
Despite this rise, the current levels remain 8% lower than the pre-pandemic period ending in March 2020, which saw a record high of 55,170 offences.
Regional crime trends varied significantly. London saw a 16% increase in offences, reaching a 14-year high of 15,859. While West Midlands recorded a 4% decrease, it remains the region with the highest crime rate (179 per 100,000 population.) Avon and Somerset experienced a startling 32% surge in knife crime.
There was a significant 7% rise in the number of robberies involving a knife or sharp instrument compared to the previous year. However in contrast, there has been a 4% decrease by year ending June 2024 in the recorded offences of "possession of article with a blade or point," dropping from 28,582 to 27,553 in the same period.
