Half of youths caught with knives in Bristol area not charged

More than half the teenagers caught with knives in a three-month period in Avon and Somerset were not charged.

Of the 19 youths under the age of 18 police arrested between March 1 and June 3, just seven were charged with being in possession of a blade, new figures have revealed.

The other 12 were given a reprimand or final warning.

In total, officers arrested 102 people of all ages for having a knife between March 1 and June 3 – an average of one a day.

Just 60 of them were later charged with an offence and taken to court, according to figures released by the police under the Freedom of Information Act.

The rest were given a caution, reprimand or final warning. Four suspects have yet to be dealt with.

Police spokeswoman Clare Giordmaine said: "A reprimand or final warning is an official formal caution for a juvenile and will go on their criminal record."

The Government recently called for all people aged 16 and over caught in possession of a knife to be brought before a court.

But a survey of forces across England and Wales found wide variations in the level of prosecutions, with Wiltshire police prosecuting just 15 per cent of those arrested for having a knife in public while the Met brought 90 per cent before a court and Cheshire charged 94 per cent.

Nationally, more than a third of those caught carrying a knife were let off with a caution.

Avon and Somerset has one of the lowest prosecution rates.

There were 360 serious offences – including attempted murder, wounding with intent, grievous bodily harm and robbery – involving knives in Avon and Somerset last year, putting it among the worst areas in England.

Three people died in Bristol last year after being stabbed, but there has been a decline in the number of people admitted to hospital with knife wounds in the city.

Last month, Johnny Derrick, 43, died after he was stabbed in Gatehouse Avenue, Withywood. Two men have been charged with his murder.

In May Alan Riddock, 41, died after being stabbed outside the Park House pub in St John's Lane, Bedminster. Four people have been charged with his murder.

The latest figures available show fewer than one in five people convicted of carrying a knife in Avon and Somerset are sent to prison.

Just 30 of 168 people found guilty of possessing a knife in a public place were given a prison sentence in 2006 in Avon and Somerset.

There were 780 recorded crimes involving knives – including possession of a blade – in Bristol last year – down from 1,038 at its peak in 2004/05.

The maximum penalty for carrying a knife was doubled last year from two to four years.

Clive Elliott, of the Victims Of Crime Trust, said: "These figures show that this postcode lottery is failing the public."