AS kids are stabbed at school and machete brawls take place in the streets, our shocking interactive map lays bare the true extent of Britain’s knife crime crisis, and reveals just where in the country is safe.
With blades wreaking havoc on our towns, countless lives have been lost lately – including Sheffield student Harvey Willgoose, 15, who was fatally stabbed at school.
GettyKnife crime continues to soar across the UK, with the worst affected towns and cities now identified on a stark and shocking new map[/caption]
PAHarvey Willgoose was tragically stabbed to death at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield – just one of countless young victims to needlessly lose their lives[/caption]
While London is typically regarded as the ‘knife crime capital’, with incidents involving a knife soaring by 58 percent in just three years, according to new figures, the problem is rife across the whole of Britain.
It seems barely a day passes without an incident involving a blade, but some of the most high profile cases in recent times include the murder of three innocent schoolgirls in Southport, Merseyside at the hands of cold killer Axel Rudakubana, 18.
And just this week in Ammanford, Wales, a 14-year-old schoolgirl who wanted to be a “celebrity” was found guilty of trying to murder two teachers and a pupil.
Shock stats laid bare
As showcased in our new interactive map below, the most recent data released by the Office for National Statistics covering the year up to September 2024 has revealed the areas most affected by knife crime within England and Wales.
PAElsie Dot Stancombe was stabbed to death in Southport, Merseyside, by cold killer Axel Rudakubana, who was detained for life with a minimum term of 52 years[/caption]
Unsurprisingly, London comes out as number one in the list of danger hotspots, with 16,521 serious offences involving a blade recorded by the Metropolitan police.
This is compared to 13,957, 11,517 and 10,489 in the three preceding years.
However it’s a much more widespread issue than many may believe, and one impacting the whole country.
The second worst hit area for knife crime is the West Midlands, with the latest figures showing 4,930 offences recorded.
Just last month “adored” 12-year-old Leo Ross was stabbed to death on his way home from school in a Birmingham park, and a 14-year-old was arrested.
In third place is Greater Manchester (4,930), followed by West Yorkshire (2,318).
In fifth is South Yorkshire (1,629), followed by Essex (1,532), Merseyside (1,241), Sussex (1,186), Avon and Somerset (1,683) and Lancashire (1,189).
PABebe King was also stabbed to death by violent killer Rudakubana, who was recently sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court for his murderous rampage[/caption]
WNSAn ‘out-of-control’ 13-year-girl stabbed two teachers and a pupil took a knife to class every day in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire[/caption]
‘Most dangerous place to live’ revealed
But while the capital came out with the worst knife crime stats, London has the lowest recorded sex offences in the UK.
Meanwhile, Cleveland in North East England continues to have the highest level of violence and sex crime recorded per 1,000 population – on top of being the most dangerous place to live overall in the country.
The most recent figures show it recorded a ratio of 126.5 crimes per 1,000 people overall in the last year.
In second place was West Yorkshire (115.9) and third South Yorkshire (107.9).
The Met, in comparison recorded 105.7 per 1,000 population.
Cleveland covers areas including Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, and Stockton-on-Tees.
A spokesperson for Cleveland Police told The Sun in December: “Cleveland Police faces significant challenges with high levels of crime and demand for policing services resembling that experienced by much larger metropolitan forces.
“The demand on the force is further challenged due to several of our areas experiencing high levels of social deprivation creating some of the most complex policing challenges faced by any police force.”
Top 10 worst UK areas for serious knife crime
These are the stats for the latest 12-month period, with the previous year in brackets:
London Met 16,521 (13,957)
West Midlands 4,930 (5,239)
Greater Manchester 3,427 (-)
West Yorkshire 2,318 (2,373)
South Yorkshire 1,459 (1,629)
Essex 1,532 (1,575)
Merseyside 1,241 (1,276)
Sussex 1,186 (1,030)
Avon and Somerset 1,683 (1,368)
Lancashire 1,189 (1,043)
Schoolboy Leo Ross was stabbed in the stomach in a Birmingham park just last monthPA
‘He was a good son’
While it’s a nation-wide issue, the latest data has of course laid bare the rapid rise in the capital’s out-of-control knife problem.
The surge has been so great that the step-mum of Jodie Chesney, 17 – stabbed to death in a London park in 2019 – told The Sun Labour has betrayed knife crime victims by giving Mayor Sadiq Khan a knighthood.
Knife deaths in recent months include 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin who was killed on his way to school in a brutal sword attack in Hainault in May last year.
Similarly, Kelyan Bokassa, also 14, was fatally stabbed on a bus in Woolwich last month on his first day back to class.
His devastated mother Mary, 50, fought back tears as she recalled the day she always dreaded — but knew would come, and just hours before his death, he gave his mum a hug she will never forget.
She said: “He played with the dog and then he caught the bus to Woolwich to see his social worker. That was the last time I saw my son.
“He was a good son — he was polite, caring and very kind.”
‘I’m going to f***ing kill you’: Inside the shock spate of stabbings occuring in our schools
Girl who attacked teachers ‘wanted to be a celeb’
A 14-year-old teen who wanted to be a “celebrity” was found guilty this week of trying to murder two teachers and a pupil in a school stabbing.
The teen, who was aged 13 at the time, launched into a frenzied knife attack at Ysgo Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, Wales.
She first knifed assistant headteacher Fiona Elias after telling her: “I’m going to f***ing kill you”.
The girl then turned her attention to Fiona’s colleague Liz Hopkin, 53, as she rushed over to help before also slashing a 14-year-old girl.
After she was arrested, she chillingly told police: “I’m pretty sure this is going to be on the news so more eyes will be looking at me.
“That’s one way to be a celebrity.”
Schoolboy stabbed to death walking home
A 15-year-old boy was jailed for life last year after being found guilty of stabbing another schoolboy to death as he walked home from lessons.
Bardia Shojaeifard was ordered to serve a minimum of 13 years behind bars for the murder of Alfie Lewis, also 15.
Alfie was stabbed to death in front of pupils leaving a primary school in the Horsforth area of Leeds in November 2023.
Shojaeifard admitted stabbing Alfie with a 13cm-long knife he had brought from home, but denied murder and claimed he was acting in self-defence when he pulled out the blade.
But he was found guilty of murder at Leeds Crown Court in April last year. Judge Mr Justice Cotter removed reporting restrictions that prevented him from being identified after his sentencing in June.
He said lifting the defendant’s anonymity would help in the “vitally important debate about the scourge of knife crime, among young people in particular”.
Broken glass rampage on a 12-year-old
A 17-year-old was locked up for five years after a sustained attack on staff and pupils with pieces of broken glass.
Former pupil Louis Melotte struck a 12-year-old girl multiple times at The Birley Academy in Sheffield, before turning on a receptionist and youth worker when they intervened.
The teenager was found guilty of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent last year and had previously pleaded guilty to taking a bladed article into a school.
He was ordered to serve five years in youth detention with an extended five year licence period at Sheffield Crown Court.
Mauled in the head with a pair of scissors
A 15-year-old girl was stabbed in the head with a pair of scissors during an English lesson at a West Midlands school last February.
Chloe Fisher was left with a gaping wound, blood during down her face and cuts to her arms, hands and face after the incident at Wordsley School in Stourbridge, West Midlands.
A CT scan showed the blade had narrowly missed Chloe’s skull.
The alleged attack followed an altercation on a school trip, and a 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of assault with intent to cause serious harm.
The school said the incident was being dealt with through the schools ‘behaviour policy’ and that a full investigation was to take place.
‘US inspired’ corridor attack
A 15-year-old boy was sentenced to 14 months detention after stabbing a teacher in a school corridor in 2023.
Maths teacher Jamie Samson was taken to hospital with a single wound after the attack at Tewkesbury Academy in Gloucestershire on 10 July.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted one count of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to cause serious injury.
He was sentenced at Bristol Youth Court in September 2023 to youth detention for 14 months.
He had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing a bladed article following the attack.
Speaking about the attack and the four-hour lockdown at the academy that followed, District Judge Lynne Matthews said: “Isn’t this what you seen on TV in America? Not Tewkesbury.”
‘I refuse to accept this is the norm’
Between September 2020 and September 2021 instances of serious knife crime recorded in the capital was just 10,489 – though this was at the height of the lockdown.
The previous 12-month period, prior to the pandemic, had seen figures at 13,599 and previous to that – in between September 2019 and September 2020 – at 15,048.
But last year’s surge means figures are now above pre-Covid pandemic numbers for the first time – and at their highest for at least 15 years, when ONS records cut off.
This is despite Khan launching The London Knife Crime Strategy in June 2017 to combat the rise – with figures having risen consistently for three years up to that point.
Quoted in the strategy, the mayor said: “In London, dozens of families have been bereaved; many more have seen their loved ones severely injured.
“Over the last decade, we have seen knife crime peak, trough and peak again in London. I refuse to accept that this is the norm.”
PA14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa was recently stabbed to death on a bus home from school in Woolwich, south-east London[/caption]
HandoutBen Kinsella was just 16 when he was stabbed to death in an attack by three men in June 2008, in Islington[/caption]
‘No child is born a killer’
Referring to the current issue, former EastEnders star Brooke Kinsella, MBE, who set up the Ben Kinsella Trust to help battle knife crime after her brother was stabbed to death, said: “The Labour Government has pledged to cut knife crime by 50 per cent over the next ten years.
“I desperately hope they succeed.”
Pastor Lorraine Jones-Burell lost her son Dwayne Simpson, 20, to knife crime in Brixton in 2014.
The campaigner, who was given an MBE, previously commented: “Unless something is done, more lives will be lost.
“I am calling on the Government to declare a state of emergency to tackle knife crime.
“They need to respond to this with a higher level of importance and humanity… No child is born a killer.”
Regarding knife crime, a Met spokesperson told The Sun: “Tackling violence remains a priority for the Met, and we know that reducing knife crime relies on combined work with communities and other agencies across London.
“We are totally committed to taking weapons off London’s streets, saving lives and bringing those responsible for knife crime to justice.
“If you have information about those who carry knives to intimidate people in your community, please share what you know with police or anonymously with Crimestoppers.”
Louis WoodMurdered Jodie Chesney’s step-mum Joanne has said the night the teenager was stabbed to death ‘still haunts her’[/caption]