A seven-year-old boy has been excluded from his primary school after allegedly bringing in a knife.
No staff or pupils were harmed or threatened during the incident at a school in Ayr last week, South Ayrshire Council said.
Police were called, and the council said the incident in the P3 class – ages six to seven – was resolved ‘without disruption to the wider school’.
The council said the child involved was excluded.
Knife crime is a talking point all over the UK – and earlier this year, Metro revealed almost half of all murders in the UK over the last two years have been due to stabbings or violent incidents with a blade.
Figures show that out of the 898 recorded murders in the UK over the last three years, 443 of these murders were committed using a knife, stabbing, or a sharp instrument.
The incident in Ayr could have turned out differently, but a council spokesperson said: ‘Parents/carers with children in the P3 class were notified of the incident last week. The police were also informed along with other relevant agencies.
‘Wider communication on the incident was subsequently sent to all parents/carers with children at the school.’
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: ‘Around 9.20 am on Thursday, May 8, we received a report of a child in possession of a knife at a school in Ayr.
‘Suitable advice was given and police are working with partners in relation to the matter.’
Knives are a major issue in London, which recorded 222 murders in the last two years, 145 (65%) of which were due to a blade or sharp object.
Thames Valley Police reported the second highest, with 14 out of 23 murders (60.86%) in this timeframe were related to knife, stabbings and sharp instruments.
In the West Midlands, there were 74 recorded murders, 42 of them being related to stabbings, while in the north, Greater Manchester Police recorded 61 murders, with 22 of them (36%) due to a sharp object.
West Yorkshire Police data showed out of the 47 murder cases, 55% (26) involved in sharp object, and Bedfordshire Police data highlighted that 7 out of the 11 recorded murders involved stabbings (63.63%).
Earlier this month, two people were injured after a schoolboy was reportedly seen brandishing a large kitchen knife on school grounds.
The teenager was detained by police soon after they were called to Manshead Church of England Academy in Caddington, near Luton, Bedfordshire.
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