Brown wants tougher action on knives

By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown vowed on Thursday to get tough on knife crime, telling prosecutors they should take action against younger people found carrying weapons.

At a breakfast meeting with police and the director of public prosecutions, Brown said there should be a presumption to prosecute those aged 16 and 17 caught with a knife rather than let them off with a caution.

"What we've got to do is if a young person is carrying a knife there is a presumption that they will end in court, there is a presumption that they will be prosecuted," Brown said.

"Even for children under 16 carrying knives we will take the toughest of actions. We want people to understand, particularly parents, that when children and young people are carrying knives they are putting other children and young people at risk."

The proposals come after demands for the government to take action following a spate of stabbings. On Monday, a 15-year-old girl became the 16th victim to die in a violent attack in London this year.

While official figures show that the number of knife attacks and violent incidents is falling, Ken Jones, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said there was a "worrying trend" of teenagers using weapons.

"We are seeing both an intensification in the severity of offending and a worrying change in the age profile of offenders and victims, which has decreased ... down to early-to-mid teens," he said.

He said police backed Brown's idea but also said officers would continue to use their common sense.