Two hundred police officers raided the home of a Muslim family a couple of years ago and found nothing! At the same time people were probably getting mugged while walking home etc.

You either see van loads of police or no one at all, we go from one extreme to the other in London, its crazy!

Graham, St. Albans, uk

Outlawing guns didn't stop these types of crimes, outlawing knives won't either. What do we outlaw next slingshots, pointed sticks, or arms with evil hands at the end? Last I checked murder was already illegal. Do you think criminals who are not afraid of murder laws are afraid of knife laws?

Tim N., Madrid,

Noel , London ,
How noble of you but the truth is that taking time to be polite to others or enquire about their wellbeing means missing the train or getting stuck in a traffic jam or giving up your 'downtime'. People are under too much pressure to survive and this rise in knife crime is a result.

judy, Liverpool, England

We all have a part to play in the way we treat each other on a daily basis. People either chose to ignore or by choice, fail to recognise the presence of others. This is spread across all classes and is prevalent in London. If you haven't a clue what I am talking about, you are the problem. Think!

Noel , London ,

Carryng a knife is illegal in public - the only reason to do so is to inflict harm.

Mandatory 15 year sentence for Conspiracy to Murder for anyone found armed in public.

Mike, Bristol,

Start teaching our children morals and mainly to be Free and indepentant thinking Indeviduals rather than Sheeple who will follow any leader, right or wrong!

This is what creates gang culture, lack of education and programming our children to do what they are told. This translates into Gangs!!!

Andrew Towell, Hartlepool, England, UK

We have more people in prison here than ever before. Crime rates are at 30 year lows, and still dropping. Co-incidence?

When law-abiding, well trained people can get concealed carry permits, street crime will decrease, but it won't happen with Labour in power. There's no 999 for bad government.

Martin von Klegmann, Fredericksburg, USA

Great to have a dandy mayor when all is well, but is he any good when the city needs a bit of leadership? Does anyone really think he has what it takes to be a leader of 8 million people? Does anyone think for a minute that he has the quality to make tough decisions. I don't - he's just a politician

Patrick, Cork, Ireland

the sentancing in the country is pathetic. If you are found carrying a knife - 5 years MINIMUM prison term. No need even for a trial. Criminals do not fear the law! Am I the only sane person to recognise this blatant fact?

mark drummond, newcastle, tyne & wear

this is why we have the death penalty in America; we, like you, have too many savages running wild in the streets. I wonder how long until the English people demand capital punishment for their crime problem.

John Johnson, NY, USA

People in the States who support gun control seem to think that it would lead to a dramatic decline in violent crime. I personally think it would lead to a dramatic increase in stabbings.

Perhaps the British shouldn't be so self-satisfied over not having the death penalty.

William, Philadelphia, USA

Sadly for many posters, prison solves nothing, generally the opposite. We need to accept there is no instant solution, contain the situation by all viable means and put education at the head of the country's agenda. We stopped doing so a long time ago and are reaping the reward.

Allan , Esher,

a number of people suggested putting the army in the streets. is it worth it? sure, you'll be safer, but at what cost? in order for any society to be free there will always be the chance of people taking advantage of that freedom. these stabbing are terrible! but the loss of liberty would be too...

tyler, seattle, united states

The root issue (not cause) that permits this is the lack of the effective parental control of a father.

The bad news is that recent legislation has deemed that a father is no longer required in IVF treatment, and positive encouragement for fathers generally is neither acknowledged nor supported!

Mike Hart, London, England

I'm sure if a "immediate jail sentences for possesion of knives" were introduced there would be a case of a "travelling chef" blah blah and suddenly everyone gets off the charge. Make as many laws as you like, dispicable people will always find a loophole to exploit.

Paddy, Leicester,

Lets hope one day the government or police or both will do something to stop this instead of issuing statements, appealing for calm etc.

paul, london,

how about some honesty - how many of these dead are criminals - the kid in thornton heath was in photos with a gun and knife - another recent murder in north london was another somalian drug dealer - identify the problem people first and then act

Tony, London,

Time for a Zanu-Labour, kneejerk gimmick.

Whatever it is, It will be unworkable, will not be enforced and of course cost a fortune. And then , forgotten about.

ronnie, bucks, UK

We do not listen we will not learn and until we do violent death will continue and rise. Prisons have become like holiday camps so to spent sometime there has become worthwhile unless matters change. For murder you should go to prison for life with no parole. Perhaps only then will there be change.

Frank Williams, Derby, England

A mistake in the report. Bustleholme Avenue is not in Charlemont Farm, but Wigmore West Bromwich - Charlemont Farm is a council estate, Bustleholme Lane, Wigmore is a suburban street of large detached houses, which sort of proves the point that these sorts of crimes happen everywhere now,

Peter Day , West Bromwich,

Many people carry knives for completely legal reasons. These include professional gardeners, sailing instructors, countryside rangers, divers, anglers and some tradesmen.
Doe this means that when I carry my knife from my house to my van I should be arrested and prosecuted?

Ray Harrington-Vail, NEWPORT, UK

At least ten people have died on the roads in the past 24 hours. Yet the police have traditionally declined to crack down on bad driving, fearing to alienate motorists, and all political parties are in thrall to the road lobby. Road deaths are far more easy to deal with than knife crime.

D Green, London, UK

I agree with Laura -- no matter how many proclamations the PM or police make, if the jail time remains (in reality) 5 to 8 years for actual murder involving a knife, the message to the street is clear: .

Carson, Leatherhead,

When the police arrest someone with a knife why don't they go through their mobile phone and target everyone else in the phone directory. Statistically they are more likely to be carrying as well. Let's get them off the street.

Steve , Twickenham, UK

This is preposterous! Punishing possession of knives will not solve this problem. What is needed is more police on the streets and better, more effective and stricter law enforcement. We should punish crimes committed with knives, not possession of knives alone. Knives have many legitimate uses too.

Jan, London,

What do you expect from a community where law enforcement officers are more worried by allegations of racism or sexism or being the subject of an IPCC vendetta? At the end of the day the Police were supposed to be 'Force' - when they became a 'Service' and saw themselves as such we lost control.

Mark, Berkhamsted,

By the time they find the answer there'll be nobody left. Frustrations are obviously building.

judy, Liverpool, England

Boris - why do you say we are all in this together and we all need to take responsibility? I am NOT in this and I have NO responsibility whatsoever! It is the likes of you Boris and the rest of the elite who have the responsibility to deal with this ethnic minority madness.

Mick, London, UK

Root cause ? I suggest lack of a visible police presence - in impressive numbers - has much to do with it. Fire Brigade style policing (which is what we have nowadays) can work - but only if the law-abiding have the means of self-defence too. If they don't its the worst of both worlds.

Lewis Thomas, High Wycombe, UK

I do not believe jail will alleviate the problem, it will replace one killer with another. What is needed is for these people not to get into confrontation with other people. Just let it go man, it is not worth the Trouble.

BE AT PEACE MY FALLEN BROTHERS AND THOSE ALIVE RESPECT EACH OTHER.

Naleen Lal, Northern California,

Terrible! Absolutely ridiculous!! We need to make wearing stab vests a culture in Britain, because, this is going to get a little more difficult to control the knife culture. If Britain is adopting US gang culture, Government should adopt the US' use of self defence and restraint polices.

Conrad , London, UK

get the army on the streets, put them all in jail,what is it that these foolish people don't understand.we have had fifty years of increasing powers given to the police, and corresponding loss to the people, gain on one hand equals loss on the other.
adult males are aliented from civil society

Eddy, Bury St.Edmunds,

Jail sentences for anyone carrying a knife - parents of underage kids fined for non supervision and the kids made to work all of their social hours in hard community service or sent to borstal type boot camps. A night curfew should also be extended to all under 18´s until it is under control.

Micad, Chelsea, London

I hope the tories are paying attention to all this disgust with Labours weakness on crime. When Labour lose the next election they need to show the public that they are not afraid to build prisons and lock people up. IT WORKS! You wont be mugged when the muggers are all in jail for 10 years!

Neil, Birmingham, U.K

send them all to jail, if there is no space oh well bad luck, just put them all there and forget about their human rights because they forgot about the ones of their victims or the military service 5 years or more

ivo, chiswick,

He wants calm?

Three strikes (of any crime) and you're removed from society for good.

5 years jail for possession of a knife.
25 years jail for use of that knife.
Life (real life) in jail for murder with that knife.

That will make me calm. What's he actually DOING about it?

Laura Roberts, London, United Kingdom

How much longer do we have to wait for NuLabour to get tough on the cause of crime - we've been waiting now 11 years and it still hasn't happened !

KC, Doncaster,

I think the best way to deal with these crimes (knife & gun) is to have a curfew from 8pm to 8am for anyone who’s unemployed and under the age of 30, see how that works, I know this is against civil liberties but so are these vile crimes

sahra, Isleworth, England

that what you get for laughing on saudi executions

saud, riyadh, saudi arabia

civilised society is finished

david, london,

Government should callout the Army to patrol the streets of London.

God help save London !

James, London, UK

I want to reassure the public that the MPS is doing everything possible.........

Why is it that I and a lot of other people don't believe you?
Immediate jail sentences for the possesion of knives, no if's. no buts..... I won't hold my breadth as it would only cause another death.

Mike Jones, Farnborough, Hampshire