Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Sajid Javid announces new plans to tackle knife crime

CHILDREN as young as 12 are to be handed new Knife Crime Prevention Orders as ministers move to curb a surge in knife crime.

These orders would be imposed on anyone aged 12 or over who police suspect to be carrying a knife, and they could be placed under curfew or have restrictions on their social media use.


A breach of these orders would be a criminal offence punishable by a two-year prison sentence.

Introducing the measures, home secretary Sajid Javid said: “I have been clear that I will do everything in my power to tackle the senseless violence that is traumatising communities and claiming too many young lives.

“The police already have a range of measures they are using to keep our streets safe, but there is more we can do to help them in this battle. I have listened to their calls and will be introducing these new orders to stop gang members carrying knives in the first place.

“It is vital we continue to focus on improving the law enforcement response while at the same time steering young people away from criminal activity in the first place.”

Javid said action will be taken against retailers found to be selling knives to children.

The home secretary revealed a new £500,000 fund to help Trading Standards prosecute retailers who repeatedly sell knives to under the age of 18. He also announced the launch of a new #Knifefree campaign in spring.

This announcement comes just days after new statistics showed crimes involving knives or sharp weapons have hit an eight-year high in England and Wales.

However, many have called Javids proposal flawed.

Sarah Jones MP, the chair of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on knife crime, told The Guardian that imprisoning someone as young as 12 for breaching the order was disproportionate. "It risks criminalising a generation of young people who have grown up unsupported and who often turn to carrying weapons out of fear,” Jones said.

“The APPG has been pushing for some time for the government to prevent proven knife offenders from using social media to incite violence, but this should not apply to young people if they haven’t committed a crime.”

Javid responded, saying the new order would act as a deterrent and stop youngsters from committing a knife-related offence.

“London communities are being devastated by the blight of knife crime and families are being torn apart. That’s why I am redoubling our efforts to stop this senseless bloodshed,” he was quoted as saying in the Evening Standard.

“Our brave police officers already have a range of measures to keep our streets safe. But having spoken to senior police leaders, including the Met Commissioner, it is clear there are areas of enforcement we can enhance.

"I am confident these new civil orders will act as a deterrent and stop individuals who are likely to carry, or use a blade, going on to commit a knife-related offence. But we all need to work together to ensure youngsters do not get drawn into a life of crime in the first place.”

More For You

F-35B jet

The UK has agreed to move the aircraft to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the airport.

Indian Air Force

F-35B jet still stranded in Kerala, UK sends engineers for repair

UK AVIATION engineers are arriving in Thiruvananthapuram to carry out repairs on an F-35B Lightning jet belonging to the Royal Navy, which has remained grounded after an emergency landing 12 days ago.

The jet is part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group of the UK's Royal Navy. It made the emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport on June 14. The aircraft, valued at over USD 110 million, is among the most advanced fighter jets in the world.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ahmedabad air crash
Relatives carry the coffin of a victim, who was killed in the Air India Flight 171 crash, during a funeral ceremony in Ahmedabad on June 15, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Ahmedabad crash: Grief, denial and trauma haunt families

TWO weeks after the crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, families of victims are grappling with grief and trauma. Psychiatrists are now working closely with many who continue to oscillate between denial and despair.

The crash occurred on June 12, when the London-bound flight hit the BJ Medical College complex shortly after takeoff, killing 241 people on board and 29 on the ground. Only one passenger survived.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer apologises for 'island of strangers' immigration speech

Prime minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech at The British Chambers of Commerce Global Annual Conference in London on June 26, 2025. (Photo by EDDIE MULHOLLAND/AFP via Getty Images)

Starmer apologises for 'island of strangers' immigration speech

PRIME MINISTER Sir Keir Starmer has admitted he was wrong to warn that Britain could become an "island of strangers" due to high immigration, saying he "deeply" regrets the controversial phrase.

Speaking to The Observer, Sir Keir said he would not have used those words if he had known they would be seen as echoing the language of Enoch Powell's notorious 1968 "rivers of blood" speech.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Masum

Masum was seen on CCTV trying to steer the pram away and, when she refused to go with him, stabbed her multiple times before walking away and boarding a bus. (Photo: West Yorkshire Police)

West Yorkshire Police

Habibur Masum convicted of murdering estranged wife in front of baby

A MAN who stabbed his estranged wife to death in Bradford in front of their baby has been convicted of murder.

Habibur Masum, 26, attacked 27-year-old Kulsuma Akter in broad daylight on April 6, 2024, stabbing her more than 25 times while she pushed their seven-month-old son in a pram. The baby was not harmed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

India declines UN investigator’s participation in Air India crash probe: Report

INDIA has declined a request from the United Nations aviation agency to allow one of its investigators to observe the probe into the Air India crash that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad on June 12, Reuters reported, citing two senior sources familiar with the matter.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had offered to provide assistance by sending one of its investigators, following the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner earlier this month. It was an unusual move, as ICAO typically deploys investigators only upon request from the country leading the investigation.

Keep ReadingShow less