London: Parents whose children are caught carrying knives should be prosecuted, as well as their offspring, according to a new Populus poll for The Times. The poll, carried out over the weekend, suggests that the public favour much tougher action by the police and the courts on knives.

The interviews follow fatal knife attacks in London and Leeds. They reveal contradictory public attitudes. More than two thirds (70 per cent) believe the rise in knife crime is a result of “deep-seated social problems to which there is no quick-fix solution”. Yet big majorities favour draconian action. By a 2-1 margin (62 to 29 per cent), voters say parents should be prosecuted if their children are caught with knives. Sixty-five per cent believe knife crime could be “significantly reduced by increasing the number of people who are stopped randomly and searched for weapons”. Some 85 per cent believe knife crime could be significantly reduced by introducing tougher sentences and 89 per cent support the proposal that anyone over the age of 16 caught carrying a knife should be prosecuted.

Poll details at www.populus.co.uk

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