Pupils as young as four taking weapons to school

Police seized scores of knives, blades and other sharp instruments, while a 14-year-old was caught in possession of a sword.

Other weapons included knuckle dusters, a hammer, and a Taser, data obtained under Freedom of Information laws showed.

Information from 29 police forces in England and Wales with relevant data showed there were 1,072 incidents in the last financial year, up from 831 in the previous 12 months.

Between April and August 2019, there were a further 311 incidents.

The figure is expected to be much higher considering several forces – including the Metropolitan Police, the largest in the country – did not provide data.

Dyfed Powys Police recorded the incident involving an unidentified four-year-old, who is said to have been in possession of a weapon in the year 2018-19. The force was unable to provide any further details about the case.

Increased

West Mercia Police figures showed 35 children under the age of 16 had been involved in 29 offences involving weapons in schools between 2014 and 2017.

Weapons found in schools within the West Mercia area included knives, bladed articles and sharp points, as well as firearms including BB guns. The statistics revealed that the youngest offender was just eight years old.

Recent figures have also revealed that the number of children caught with knives at school in the West Midlands region has increased five-fold in six years.

More than 100 pupils under the age of 18 were caught with a knife or similar weapon at a school in the West Midlands in 2017/18, far higher than the 23 caught in 2012/13.

The figures, released by West Midlands Police, also showed one eight-year-old and two nine year olds were caught with blades in school grounds last year.

Many schools in the region have introduced knife arches in an attempt to deal with the problem, with the measures introduced during spot checks in Sandwell.

School leaders today said the figures were “grim but unsurprising”, reflecting an issue in society as a whole that schools cannot solve alone. Police chiefs warned that violence is a growing problem among young people, and forces are working with schools to educate youngsters and explain why they should not carry weapons.

Nationally, the latest figures show knives, including lock-knives, pen knives and craft knives, were involved in 1,260 incidents across between April 2017 and summer 2019 – more than half of the incidents reported overall.

Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for children and young people, said that although incidents are rare, forces are seeing a small number of offences on school premises involving weapons.

“Serious violence is a growing problem amongst young people and we continue to work closely with partners to address this,” she said.

Interactive

“Police involvement in schools, whether it be officers delivering talks and sessions or based in schools themselves as part of the Safer Schools Partnership, helps us to educate young people and explain why carrying a weapon is never the right choice.”

A Department for Education spokesman said it was taking pro-active action to deal with the problem.

He added: “Schools should be safe and disciplined environments for both pupils and teachers.

“We recently announced a £10 million investment to establish behaviour hubs so that schools with a track record of effectively managing pupils’ behaviour can share what works with schools that need it.

“We have strengthened teachers’ powers so they can take action if they suspect a pupil has brought a prohibited item, including knives, into schools.”