IF THE government’s response to the Covid pandemic had been as ineffectual as its response to the pandemic of knife crime, we’d still be in lockdown.

Not a day goes by that we don’t learn of yet another (usually young) person being stabbed to death by feral teenage (and sadly even younger) thugs.

It will take draconian measures to stop the spread of this fatal ‘disease’.

Firstly, make the carrying in public of any knife that may be used as a weapon (other than in an official capacity), whether or not it has been used for criminal purposes, punishable with an automatic minimum of two years behind bars - with no appeal and no opportunity for early release on parole.

Secondly, where a knife is used to injure, maim or kill, the minimum automatic punishment, again with no prospect of appeal or early release on parole, the sentence should be a mandatory absolute minimum of ten years.

And where an attack is carried out by more than one person – all of them should face the same charge as the individual or individuals responsible for the actual stabbing.

Thirdly, where the victim of a knife attack dies, the charge should always be murder – doing away with the lesser charge of manslaughter.

The law should assume that if someone attacks another with a knife, the intention is to kill.

Fourthly, we must apply the same regulations to the selling and purchasing of hunting or trophy knives, as we do to guns, air pistols and other firearms.

The knife crime pandemic is out of control and will continue to spread unless the government takes drastic, pro-active steps to tackle it.

ROBERT READMAN

Norwich Avenue West, Bournemouth