14 January 2008
The Prime Minister has said that anyone found carrying dangerous weapons such as knives should expect to be prosecuted rather than cautioned.
In an interview with The Sun newspaper, Mr Brown said carrying knives or guns was "completely unacceptable” and that those caught by police should expect a "zero-tolerance" approach.
The PM said:
"We have to send out a message and reinforce it with action. It is completely unacceptable to carry a knife or a gun. Where police have previously been cautioning people, there now has to be a presumption of prosecution.”
The crackdown will be extended from London to other knife-crime hotspots - to be determined by the police working closely with Ministers. More measures will be outlined in a Violent Crime Action Plan to be unveiled next month by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, he said.
Mr Brown also expressed concern about the content of video games and said the industry had a "responsibility to society" when depicting violent material to be viewed by young people. Another area of concern is the availability of blades with no practical outdoor purpose, which may face a total ban, the PM said.
The PM’ s comments came after a string of recent knife-related deaths, including those of teenagers Nassirudeen Osawe in Islington, north London, and Jack Large in Grange Hill.
Image copyright Reuters
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