Knife deaths down to 35-year low

I welcome the news that, according to figures released this week, knife deaths are now at their lowest level in 35 years.

Knife-enabled deaths have fallen by 26%, while knife crime overall has dropped by 11%.

I have been campaigning on gang crime, youth crime and child criminal exploitation in Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton, all of which are closely linked to knife crime.

The culture of carrying knives, driven by gangs and organised crime, spread to communities across the country. From my experience locally, it had the greatest impact on our most deprived communities, affecting people from all backgrounds. Over recent years, numerous Section 60 stop and search powers have been authorised in response.

Government data also shows that a staggering 15,000 knives have been taken off our streets during a national amnesty in the last year alone. These include ninja swords, zombie-style knives, machetes, swords and kitchen knives.

While there is still much more to do, these figures show that determined action can make our communities safer.