Express & Star comment: Knife campaign has struck a chord
It is fantastic to see this newspaper's campaign for a change in the law on knife sales has clearly resonated with people.
More than 5,000 people have now signed our petition to the Home Secretary, showing the depth of concern that exists over the issue.
The fact that vicious blades are available to buy from shops on our high streets has clearly struck a chord with the public.
BAN THE SALE OF DEADLY KNIVES - SIGN OUR PETITION HERE
Any right-minded person who has seen pictures of the knives in question can only come to one conclusion: there is no legitimate reason for owning one of these weapons.
Arguments that they are sold for display purposes simply do not hold water.
If that was the case, then why not manufacture these weapons out of rubber or some other material that does not have the potential to cause such damage?
As it is, these blades are made out of sharpened steel.
In the wrong hands, they are deadly weapons. We encourage as many people as possible to sign the E&S petition.
We are in the middle of a violent crime epidemic that, if things carry on the way they are, will see Britain suffer a record number of murders by the end of this year.
Undoubtedly, one of the reasons for this tragic state of affairs is our broken criminal justice system, that is no longer fit for purpose.
Serious questions must be asked over the current Government's approach to dealing with crime of all types, particularly violent crime.
The latest initiative – the Serious Violence Strategy – has been billed by ministers as a package of measures that will tackle the root causes of crime, while also coming down hard on criminals.
We can only hope that it is more successful than recent attempts supposedly aimed at promoting a tougher stance on law and order.
Shamefully, the 'two strikes' rule, which is supposed to see repeat offenders caught in possession of a knife sent to jail, has failed to do so on four out of 10 occasions.
It seems that our courts are able to use a legal loophole to spare criminals a spell behind bars.
Similarly, shops are able to exploit another loophole to sell knives by simply removing words and imagery suggesting violence.
And the authorities wonder why crime keeps on rising.
