As an ex-copper, from the days when assaulting a police officer was a guaranteed custodial sentence and being caught with a 'blade' was an instant arrest. I'm convinced that increasing sentences is NOT a guaranteed deterrent, the real deterrent is the probability of being caught! 2008 = minimal!

Ed Aburrow, Woodbridge, England

Might antagonise them? They need to learn they do not have the right to do as they please, that respect is earned ways other than wielding a knife or a baseball bat. Stop molly coddling these thugs and start giving them a hard time it's about time they started respecting the laws of this country!

Riled of Ruddington, Nottingham, England

This paper and comments (or most of them) are frighteninly out of scope. No wonder your children feel they have to carry weapons. Get them educated. All the money wasted on useless CCTV would have solved all that tension. Get yourselves together hey.

Sebastien, Glasgow, Scotland,UK

Our betters in government may not realise but the further down the slippery slope one travels the more drastic the rectification process.

David, Bromley,

A family member is in the Met in inner London - the majority of arrests are individuals who have been released early from their previous sentence.

Anne, Dumdee,

It is not a knife that is the problem, but the type of knife, and how and what it is used for.

In my youth all boys and teenagers aspired to having a knife. Either a Jack-knife, of a sheath knife.

I wouldn't want to be without my Swiss Army Knife.

Ted Prangnell, Ashford, U.K.

The jails are full mate - don't you read your papers?

Victor M., Chelmsford, Essex.,

Mace, Pepper Spray, even [possibly] stunguns: though they may carry the risk of robbery, surely that is a lesser evil than death; allow teenagers with righteous fears to protect themselves comparatively safely; then check them for knives more actively than at present

Mark, Nice, France

Perhaps we can take a lesson from other western Europeans who are also disillusioned with their governments not providing basic civilian protection, such as the Italians where citizens undertake 24 hour neighbourhood patrols to alert the police to unwanted criminal activity in their area

Maretta, London,

Stephen Pollard has hit the nail on the head. I think we need this robust approach, to how we deal with criminals, to be taken right across the spectrum, not just knife crime. I suggest we lock up all violent offenders using severe sentencing and use tagging for non-violent offenders

Patrick Stanton, Faversham, England

The ancestors of today's young men fought in Agincourt, Trafalgar and the First World War.

Of course young men carry weapons and are aggressive - especially in a country that treats them with such disrespect and calls them scum. And they are on every street corner.

ER, London, Britain

Mr Pollard is correct,though such a disciplined downside should come much earler in life than when they are old enough to be sent to prison.We have removed any semblance of censure from children or shame from parents.Authority should mean trouble to them every time ,not a minor inconvienience as now

robert everitt, wolverhampton,

Until there is the fear of being caught in possession , which at the moment is negligible and the fear of facing a mandatory custodial sentence, which at the moment is non-existent these idiots will continue to carry guns, knives and other offensive weapons and more young people will die.

Ted Wooller, Corfu, Greece.

to be honest, nothing will happen until this directly impacts one of our(should that read the) politicans, no matter which party they are from. reaction is generally provoked by something near to us and until they "feel what we feel" they will never react the way we wish them to.

alan, london,

The solution to the problem is easy:-

1) bring back hanging
2) bring back Tony Blair
3) bring back Thatcher
4) bring back Enoch Powell
5) bring back the 'sus' laws
6) make carrying a knife a 'terrorist' activity
7) ban all video games with knives
8) ban all movies with knives.

Deal?

John Cudgins (ex 1900s executioner), Skelmersdale,

Having a knife at home should carry a minimum penalty of 20 years, carrying one 40 years. Only people who really need knives such as butchers or professional knife throwers at the circus, or whittlers should be allowed to have knives.
Forks are OK but only if you're +21 & no criminal record.

Peter Rice, Brighton, UK

Sir Al Aynsley-Green doesn't want to cause "antagonism" by stopping & searching? Er, hello, isn't antagonism a little better than a violent death by knifing? What an idiot!

Helen, Virginia, USA

Stop "pussy footing" around these youths. Bring back National Service, this would keep them off the street and would hopefully teach them to have respect for others and that life is precious or send them to Iraq if they really want to fight. Refuse 2 jobs "no dole" if unemployed.

Carol, Johannesburg, South Africa

are prisoners allowed to vote? if so why? i thought that by going to jail you lost your rights as part of the punishment?

alan, london,

Mike A is right. "1950s teddy-boys with a razor = ALWAYS max sentence = problem solved in weeks"

But do not trust this Gov't. Instead, that but a tempy law for say 3 years to solve a tempy problem

Power to search every youngster anytime and mandatory 2 full years if found = safe society

Sensible, Liverpool,

There seems to be plenty of comments here blaming the state or the schools for knife crime but not one of the comments so far appears to mention the parents' role. Do the parents of these knife-wielding kids not know that they are going to school, or for a night out, carrying a weapon?

Elaine, Portsmouth, UK

Hellllooo? Don't you know we have no room in the jails and that there is no money for extra policemen?
Besides our Home Office senior managers are too busy trumpeting the fact that serious crime is falling to notice that many of our children are too.

Krajbang Wolip, Horsham, uk

Kids must see clear and repeated evidence that others who actually harm or kill people with knives get locked up straightaway. Anythiing less and the surge in knife crime will continue

Keith Price, Dunstable, UK

There's no sense of justice in this country, you can be arrested for taking photographs but kids that cause thousands of pounds of damage get sent to theme parks. There are large numbers of kids still in sink schools, why??? They only prepare kids for prison i.e. nothing to gain, nothing to lose.

Graham, St. Albans, uk

Do you remember the 1950s. Gangs of teddy-boys began slashing each other with cut-throat razors. The judiciary responded with draconiam harshness. ALWAYS the maximum sentence. NO exceptions. NO excuses. The problem ended within weeks. The same severity would end the existing problems today.

Mike A, Channel Islands,

Carrying a knife should = automatic 10 years in jail. Killing with a knife should = automatic 30 years. Do this for a dozen young thugs & publicise it. Their lives will be ruined - but it will save others. Get rid of Ansly-Green and provide policing which targets the thugs & protects the law-abiding

Donna Walker, Effingham, England

I am 66 years of age and have carried, and still carry, a knife from my days as a "be prepared" Boy Scout...and guess what I've never even thought of pulling it, or using it on anyone. So, that tells me it has nothing to do with knifes, it's the youths. Bring back the DEATH PENALTY.

Thomas, Alicante, Spain

So Rui, we should ignore this and instead ban crime? What an excellent idea!

Tom, Nottingham, England

Ah the genius of simplicity. Lets have the police do what they are supposedly paid for; enforce the countries laws against those that violate them. And then , if we are lucky, we can have the courts use the same laws to punish the offenders correctly.
GLOVES OFF GET TO IT!

Keih Walker, Newcastle, England

I am with Stephen Pollard all the way but to attract the attention the points deserve, something adapted along the lines of another of todays headlines about Chelsea FC - 'England Looking For Hard Man To Restore Order' - would be better placed on the front page rather than 17. Who's in charge here?

BERT BRETHERTON, STOCKPORT, ENGLAND

It is accurate but insufficient to call Sir Al Aynesley-Green a "dangerous idiot".

This egregious fool and his co-opinionists typify our glorious new establishment: so keen to grab at the baubles while refusing to act accordingly.

"Sir Al", for goodness sake - it says it all.

HNMcC, Ely,

These knife killings have been a very sad state of affairs. That is why I will never in my right mind bring up a child in this country, let alone in this city. Why are penalties for these thugs so light? What are the politician thinking? What are the judges thinking?

Jason, London,

hmm, i do wonder what else this government will impose upon us, currently they have no intention of dealing with serious crime, guns used to be the most henious crime, killing a policeman was automatic death penalty. Now we read that if a theatre mis-quotes a critic they will be fined or jailed?

alan, london,

Absolutely; we don't need new laws, just the enforcement of the old ones, and some exemplary sentences for a while to discourage the behaviour. This will, unfortunately, require that the Police have to face down the louts, and in jail gang-culture is broken down.

Ms Anthrope, Glasgow, UK

The reason for knife-crime is the misunderstanding about the origins of crime. Crime has nothing to do with its means, be it guns or knives. Ban guns, You get knife.crime. Ban knives.. You'll get sticks and stones.

Rui, Lisbon, Portugal

Stephen Miles is right about children "arming themselves because they feel threatened by their peers". In other words, because we no longer have a patrolling police force - bobbies on the beat - youngsters are arming themselves in self-defence against each other. A disaster which has been predicted.

Edmund Burke, Kingston upon Thames, England

Take away the reason for carrying knives?

I have been in the UK for a year and the only time I have seen police has been in the motorway.

Bobbies patrolling, as they were originally conceived by Robert Peel, reduce crime levels. Presence modeling civility is the key.

Jo, Olney, UK

I wish people would stop blaming the youths!
Clearly our Government has failed them and continues to fail them. When will the Government approach the causes?
They have had more than their fair share With years of unbridled TV/Computer screen images of war, death, destruction, pornography and famine.

Max, Wimbledon, England

Paul from Barnet asks, 'What on earth is the Home Secretary doing that is more important than this?' Submitting an expense claim I imagine, and listening to well-meaning but foolish people like Sir Al Aynsley-Green. It is his like that brought us to this state in the first place.

Steve, Torrington,

I agree with the return of the death penalty. Not, however, the State one. If no doubt existed over who killed one of my children, I would impose my own penalty and spare the taxpayer and the legions of lawyers another pay day.

michael murphy, brightlingsea, england

Would letting police focus on their real work again, rather than collects taxes and fines, help deal with this problem? Would having schools and media who now and then try to instil respect for, instead of cynicism about, the nation's institutions bring about a change of attitude?

Leonard Colquhoun, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia

I fully agree with the author. The English (parents and state) are spoiling their children by allowing them to do whatever they want. This is the primary reason why alcoholism and knife culture is booming in London.Wake up England! Your kidss are being killed. This is a national tragedy.

Kakhi, London, UK

Instead of pouring money into stop and search & other little schemes the government try.
If you muder with knife or gun you should be put to death & I would even put it on tv to show others their fate for the same crime.
Maybe they might think twice about it if they know their fate if caught.

N Morgan, Stockport, UK

Although all these comments have some validity, they all miss the point. Children are arming themselves because they feel threatened by their peers. And they cannot rely on the police, the schools or their parents to protect them. To paraphrase, in the kingdom of sheep, the one armed man is king.

Stephen Miles, Fayetteville, US

As Rupert mentions, historically when everyone was allowed to be armed, crime was lower. Self-defence seems to have become a dirty word, but it also seems that the old rules were made for a reason.

As Robert A. Heinlein said, "An armed society is a polite society."

TC, London, UK

There were probably 27 teenagers killed last night by handguns in my United States but I sympathize with the teen violence problem. That being said, I still find it incredulous that 18-year olds can drink legally. Would not changing the legal drinking age to 21 solve some of these problems?

Michael Gamboa, Buena Park, California, U.S.A.

Like everything else in life there should be house rules. If the knife carriers and other criminals know they are likely to be stopped and searched, then arrested, then prosecuted and ultimately imprisoned there will be a dramatic decline in criminal activity. At present anarchy rules.

Callan, Liverpool, England

A mandatory minimum 2 year sentence without early release would at least take the knife-carrying idiots off the streets. What on earth is the Home Secretary doing that is more important than this?

Paul, Barnet,

It's strange how jailing more teens doesn't actualy seem to reduce crime. Could it be that sending a child to Feltham for possession of a knife just produces a hardened recidivist?

Now that physical punishment is ruled out schools are jungles full of bullies and druggies. Fix the problem.

richard, horley,

Until the law practices what it preaches, then and only then will we see less knife carring people (not just teenagers)
If caught with a knife then its of to jail you go , no if's or but's , do not pass go , go strait to jail.

Harry, so shields, UK

Bring back our 'adult' right to bear arms.
Had responsible adults been in place with firearms, the right young man would have succumbed to this needless violence and not the innocent, who did.

Rupert, Whitchurch, Hants

How about reviving chain gangs for knife offenders, and have them repair public roads, properties of victims. Allow them to be free at night, with electronic bracelets, and work 12 hours hard labour every day in a chain gang for 50 P per day.

David , Amsterdam, Netherlands