Knife crime in Cambridgeshire has risen by eight per cent over 12 months, higher than the national average.
From January to December 2020, there were 670 offences in the county involving knives and sharp weapons according to Home Office figures.
But this figure had increased to 722 between January and December 2021, when the total for England and Wales had dropped from 49,152 the year before to 46,950.
Cambridgeshire’s knife or sharp weapons crime rate last year was also higher than that for England and Wales, ranking at 84 per 100,000 compared to 79 per 100,000.
Last week, Cambridgeshire Police held a knife amnesty as part of national knife crime awareness week.
A police spokesperson said: “East Cambs neighbourhood policing team are encouraging people to hand in illegal knives to the police, with no questions asked.”
Up to the end of 2021, the most prominent offence in Cambridgeshire involving a knife was assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm, with 357 offences being recorded.
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