Police chief George Le Page shows Home minister Geoff Mahy a throwing star from the force’s collection of confiscated weapons. (Picture by Daniel Guerin, 0579720)

A CRACKDOWN on knives is planned by the Home Department in the wake of an increase in violent attacks.

Four serious stabbings, two of them fatal, took place in London during a 48-hour period at the beginning of this week and Home minister Geoff Mahy said he wanted to prevent a rise in knife crime locally.  ‘The department has been concerned about the publicity of knife crime in the UK and at one of its last meetings before the general election supported a draft report on the sale and danger of knives,’ he said.

The paper, which is due to go out for consultation next month, looks at revising local laws. It comprises two main elements and Deputy Mahy hoped it would be ready to be brought before the States this year. ‘The first thing it deals with is that it would make it an offence to sell or offer to sell or attempt to sell knives to under-18s,’ he said.

‘The second element would be to make it an offence to market a knife or other blade or sharply-pointed weapon in such a way that it is suitable for combat or likely to stimulate or encourage violent behaviour.’