Official government guidance published in February 2026 setting out expectations for how police, Youth Justice Services and other agencies should respond when a child is found in possession of a knife. Covers the three-stage process: police alerting YJS, initial assessment and referrals, and appropriate outcomes including out-of-court resolutions and mandatory intervention plans.
Commander Stephen Clayman's independent review of online knife sales, commissioned by the Home Office and published in January 2025. The review examines the sale and delivery process for knives obtained online, covering UK retailers, overseas sellers, grey market activity, age verification, delivery practices, social media platforms, and regulatory gaps. It makes eight key recommendations including a knife retailer registration scheme, stronger age verification requirements, and the creation of a 'prohibited person' concept.
Policy brief from De Montfort University Leicester and the United Nations Academic Impact Hub examining research into rounded knives as safer alternatives to pointed kitchen knives. The study tested over 300 stabbing motions using knives with different tip shapes on clothing fabrics, finding that rounded-tip knives failed to penetrate any garments while pointed knives caused significant damage. The brief recommends promoting rounded knives, campaigning for legislation restricting pointed knives, and engaging manufacturers to produce safer alternatives. Author: Leisa Nichols-Drew, Chartered Forensic Practitioner and Associate Professor at DMU.
The Crown Prosecution Service's comprehensive guidance for prosecutors on knife and weapons offences. Covers charge selection, available offences (summary and either way), mandatory minimum sentences, sentencing, ancillary orders, and includes detailed definitions of all prohibited weapons including zombie knives, ninja swords, flick knives and more. Essential reference for understanding how knife crime cases are prosecuted.
Government evaluation of the County Lines Programme (January 2020 to January 2025). The evaluation found the Programme led to a 25% reduction in hospital admissions for stabbings in exporter areas, preventing approximately 672 hospitalisations per year. Demonstrates the effectiveness of targeting county lines networks in reducing serious knife-related harm.
Comprehensive House of Commons Library briefing on the law relating to knives and offensive weapons. Covers the legal framework including prohibited weapons, possession offences, mandatory minimum sentences, stop and search powers, Knife Crime Prevention Orders, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, and recent legislative changes including the Crime and Policing Bill. Essential reading for understanding the full scope of knife crime legislation.
Regularly updated briefing from the House of Commons Library providing comprehensive knife crime statistics for England and Wales. Includes police recorded crime data, hospital admissions, homicide figures, regional comparisons by police force area, and sentencing statistics. An authoritative source for current data on the scale and trends of knife crime.
A comprehensive evidence pack from the Youth Justice Board examining knife crime statistics, risk factors, and the effectiveness of different intervention strategies. The pack provides data-driven recommendations for practitioners, highlighting that pre-court diversion and early intervention are more effective than prosecution and mandatory sentencing, and that some high-profile awareness programmes may actually be counterproductive.
Comprehensive evidence briefing from the College of Policing summarising research on factors associated with knife crime and strategies to tackle it. Provides an overview of risk factors, motivations for weapon carrying, and evidence-based interventions.
