NI knife crime on the increase

Knife killings in Northern Ireland have doubled since the 1998 Good Friday agreement, a report by the PSNI has today revealed.

The report, by PSNI analytical director Mark Evans, also revealed that there have been more than three violent incidents involving knives every day in the last six months.

Since the three-week knife amnesty began in the province on May 25, a number of blades have been dumped at designated bins in civic amenity sites, however it is understood that police can still forensically test any weapons, which they suspect were used in a crime.

A selection of the knives retrieved so far will be put on display in Belfast tomorrow.

Mr Evans, who heads a team of 90 advisers to the Police Service, said that the number of knife murders during the Troubles was relatively low, compared to the amount of incidents reported recently.

Speaking earlier, Mr Evans said: "There were lots of people killed as a result of other activity, but since the Troubles ended we have seen an increase in the number of knife-related murders.

"It's probably twice as bad as it was during the Troubles."

The knife amnesty is part of a government campaign to combat knife crime, which according to Mr Evans has increased to around 100 incidents a month.

Mr Evans said: "The analytical work we did a year ago highlighted this was an issue.

"We produced a report for the senior command team and that, along with the work produced by other people, contributed to a strategy to try and deal with knife crime."

The reaction of the public to the growing knife culture led the British Government and policing chiefs to take action.

(EF/SP)