THE number of recorded knife crimes in Dorset has surged over the last five years, reflecting a national rise in stabbings.

Home Office figures show Dorset Police recorded 234 crimes in which knives were used between October 2016 and September 2017, an increase of 65 per cent on the same period in 2012-13.

The most common offence recorded for those crimes was assault with injury or intent to cause serious harm.

There were 131 such incidents recorded in the 12 months to September 2017 - 56 per cent of all knife crimes.

In addition, there were 50 robberies using knives. Other knife crimes included three murders, eight attempted murders and 34 death threats, as well as seven rapes and one sexual assault.

Nationally, there were over 37,000 recorded knife crimes across England and Wales between October 2016 and September 2017, a 44 per cent increase on the same period in 2012-13. Over a third of those crimes took place in London.

On Monday, the Home Office published its Serious Violence Strategy, which aims to prevent young people being drawn into lives of violence.

In a speech announcing the strategy, the home secretary, Amber Rudd, said there were strong links between the rise in knife crime and drug dealing, with over half of deaths since 2014 involving a victim or a suspect using or dealing drugs.

She said: “I’ve seen what’s going around our streets – the zombie knives, axes and bayonets.

“And let me tell you, it might have had a place in medieval warfare but it certainly doesn’t have a place on our city streets.”

Among the measures announced were new restrictions to be placed on the online sale of knives, and a complete ban on certain weapons, including ‘zombie knives’.

Superintendent Jez Noyce, of Dorset Police, said knife crimes against strangers were "still rare".

“There were 332 reported knife crimes in the year 2017 in Dorset, a 5.7 per cent increase compared to 2016 where there were 315 crimes. 

“There has been a rise in knife crime nationally and this has also been reflected in Dorset. This is in part due to better recording of incidents when a bladed item has been involved, but also as a result of issues such as county lines drug networks, which is also seen in other areas of the country, and other serious organised crime groups. The majority of knife crimes in Dorset involve a relationship between the victim and suspect - stranger incidents are still rare. 

“While we recognise that knife crime is a concern among our young people, in Dorset we do not experience the same type of gang-related knife crime involving young people widely reported in other areas of the country. The average age of a victim of knife crime in Dorset was 33 years in 2016, and over 35 years in 2017.

“We are committed to reducing knife crime across Dorset. We work in conjunction with partners to identify those most at risk and those who present the greatest threat in terms of knife-related crime.  

“We aim to understand the scale and impact on local communities and individuals including drug users and domestic abuse victims and ensure that effective procedures are in place to protect them from harm.

“Our work also continues to disrupt and bring offenders to justice while maintaining public confidence in Dorset Police and partner organisations.

“Other ongoing work to reduce knife crime includes targeting known habitual knife carriers and taking positive and robust action against those committing knife crime.

"The force also take part in regular national knife amnesties and officers and staff from our Safer Schools Teams work with schools to educate young people about the dangers of carrying knifes and the tragic consequences that using a knife can lead to.”

Earlier this week, Dorset Police Federation Chairman Tony Tester said the surge in violent incidents in London could have knock-on effects in Dorset.

He said “visible patrolling” across the county had fallen by 37 per cent over the past decade due to government funding cuts.

Dorset’s new chief constable, James Vaughan, responded to Mr Tester’s claims and said the reduction in funding had caused the force to “change the way we deliver our service”.

However, he insisted: “Neighbourhood policing is at the centre of everything we do in Dorset and we remain committed to supporting local communities who expect and deserve a visible policing presence.”