Number of knife charges in schools doubles in one year

THE number of youngsters charged with bringing a knife to school in the Lothians has soared, new figures showed today.

The police figures revealed that the number of charges doubled in the last year in the force area, from nine to 18, with those involved mainly pupils.

Police chiefs said increasing awareness of the dangers of knives may be encouraging youngsters to report classmates for carrying blades. But the statistics also sparked fears of a growing knife culture among youths who carry them for "protection" or as "status symbols".

In Edinburgh, eight arrests were made in and around schools during the last year, although two were made at weekends in playgrounds when a 20-year-old and 16-year-old were detained in separate incidents.

Of the remaining six cases in the Capital, most are believed to have been committed in high schools.

The figures, which were released through freedom of information laws, do not reveal whether the knives were discovered by teachers or police, or the circumstances of the incidents.

Superintendent Martin Gordon, from the force's operational support unit, said: "These figures for Edinburgh are relatively low but still completely unacceptable. The police are working closely with school authorities to prevent knives being taken to school. Our officers visit schools to deliver crime prevention messages, including the dangers of carrying knives.

"Some youngsters carry weapons because they believe others do. They see it as protection. We need to break that cycle of thinking through education.

"This rise may be down to the message that knives are unacceptable getting through to youngsters. They may be more willing to report the matter to a teacher and that is something we would encourage."

In February last year, an 11-year-old boy held a kitchen knife to a female pupil's throat at a school in Dalkeith and in June the previous year, an eight-year-old boy was suspended from a school in Penicuik after pulling out a flick knife during a playground fight.

Colin McKay, from teacher's union, The Educational Institute of Teachers (EIS) said: "It's worrying that anyone would take a knife into a school and it only takes one loony to act. The figures are a concern and shows us we need to remain vigilant.

"But it must be remembered these figures are relatively low. There may be a positive message to show youngsters who believe they have to carry knives because others do. These figures show that few actually do, and that could debunk that myth."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Parent Teacher Council said: "As a proportion of pupils at school, these numbers are very low and must be kept in perspective. It would be wrong to take these figures as a sign of an epidemic."

In October last year, it was revealed that parents in the Capital were buying stab-proof blazers and hooded tops to keep their children safe. At least 170 of the military-style protective tops were ordered from a firm based in London.

The growing number of knife seizures in Edinburgh has fuelled fears that carrying knives has become a status symbol for young men. Police confiscated 465 bladed weapons between April 2006 and March last year. That compares with 275 between April 2004 and March 2005 – a rise of 69 per cent.