Express & Star comment: It's time to get tough over knife crime

Barely a week goes by without the release of another set of damning statistics that show the problem is getting worse.

Today we report on the alarmingly high number of weapons that police have seized in schools across the West Midlands.

Hundreds of knives – including machetes, knuckle dusters and kitchen knives – have been taken, with children as young as 10 found to be carrying weapons.

This is a deeply concerning state of affairs.

The public is understandably shocked that knife crime has risen to the extent that it has in recent years.

There is no doubt that across the country we are dealing with an epidemic.

When children are getting caught up in mindless violence, it is time for the authorities to take decisive action.

Recently in this newspaper we highlighted the role that parents and families must play in educating young people about the dangers of knife crime.

But there is a real danger that we are all being let down by mealy-mouthed politicians who do little but pay lip service to the idea of getting tough on crime.

Any criminal justice system is only as strong as the methods it incorporates to deter people from committing crime.

In the eyes of many law breakers, Britain has become a soft touch.

The only way to reduce knife crime is to bring in tougher minimum mandatory sentences.

Under the current system, children caught possessing a knife for a second time face a minimum of four months’ detention – compared to a three-year term for possession of a prohibited firearm.

This is madness when you consider the damage that can be caused with a knife.

There is a strong argument to suggest that since mandatory five-year sentences came in for the possession of a firearm, people have switched to knives.

The Government insists it cares about maintaining law and order and being hard on crime.

Theresa May must prove she can make tough decisions and bring in mandatory minimum sentences for people caught carrying a knife.