Cutting knife crime

Dominic Grieve

Perhaps - unsuprisingly - the death of yet another young boy in a knife attack this week has prompted a further frenzy of anguished, hand wringing among the political classes.

Some 18 youngsters have now died in knife attacks in London this year alone. Goodness only knows how many have been badly wounded or injured in unreported stabbing incidents.

And so with a weary inevitability the Met has called for the setting up of a "knife task force"......while Cherie Blair, no less, has demanded a "violence reduction unit" and the Home Office is reportedly considering handing out stab vests to pretty much anyone who has anything to do with the public.

It can only be a matteer of time before someone suggests a Knife Tsar or a Blade Summit.

But if its easy to be dismissive of such initiatives...what is to be done...to counter a culture which reaches so deep into the lives of many young people ?

Well Dominic Grieve, ... the new shadow home secretary...has said he believes knife crime is reaching "epidemic levels"

What would he do about it ?