Hospital in knife crime warning

Last year about 50 people were treated at Leicester Royal Infirmary for stab wounds

Hospital authorities in Leicester have said they are worried by the high numbers of knife-related injuries.

In the 12 months from April 2004 there were 28 stab wounds caused by assaults, increasing to 52 for 2006-07, according to Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI).

An accident and emergency consultant at the hospital said knife crime had become "part of street violence".

Professor Tim Coats said those who carried knives were "millimetres away" from killing someone.

In 2007-08, 49 stabbing victims were treated at LRI, with most incidents on Friday and Saturday nights.

"Once you carry a knife, you are out of control of what is going to happen," Mr Coats said.

"The difference between killing somebody and not killing somebody can be just pure chance, a few millimetres in each direction."

He added that the majority of knife incidents he saw were alcohol related.