Only one in five knife offenders jailed

Dominic Grieve has condemned Labour’s “hollow” pledge to crack down on knife crime after it was revealed that only one in five knife offenders are sent to jail.

New statistics show that the proportion of knife criminals being jailed actually decreased in the last quarter from 22% to 20% - and the number receiving a community sentence or suspended sentence increased from 42% to 45%.

The figures also reveal that 8,000 knife offenders have been let off with a caution in the last year alone.

Dominic, the Shadow Justice Secretary, said, “With only one in five knife offenders being sent to prison - and the number falling - the Government’s pledge to crack down on knife crime rings hollow.”

And he warned, “Labour’s lax approach is putting the public at greater risk.”