KNIFE CRIME EXCLUSIVE

New figures obtained exclusively by the BBC show that serious knife crime is rising at the steepest rate in areas OUTSIDE of London. Youth workers say they’ve taken weapons off PRIMARY SCHOOL children in Lancashire. Analysis of police force data in England and Wales reveals that a quarter of ALL knife victims are women and girls, and almost half of the suspects are under the age of 24. The Home Office says 20,000 new police officers will be recruited over the next three years, making it easier for them to use stop and search powers. Our Home Affairs Correspondent Sarah Corker reports from Blackpool.

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