Children aged under 10 are being caught with knives in schools in Essex

While Prime Minister Theresa May announced a knife crime summit in Westminster the latest figures from Essex revealed the number of times police had been called into schools to deal with knives and blades had almost quadrupled.

Concerns - Caroline Shearer, left, with then Home Secretary Theresa May

Janet Bloomfield, Essex Police’s children, young people and anti-social behaviour manager, said one incident is too many.

She said: “We continue to work closely with educational establishments, social services and local authorities to try and create safer learning environments for young people.

“We want young people to learn and develop without fear and we are fully aware of the dangers weapons pose to school communities.

“That’s why our fire and police school engagement officers attend hundreds of schools, colleges and young organisations across the county every year to educate them about the risks of carrying knives and getting into gangs.”

In 2014/15 there were eight knife crimes in schools.

Last year there were 31.

It brings the total figure in four years to above one hundred, and these are just the ones where officers have been called and offences recorded.

Five of them involved children less than ten-years-old.

Incidents where knives were used included rape, homicide and violence with injury.

There were 14 reports in Basildon schools, 12 in Thurrock and eight in Southend.

Ms Bloomfield added: “We have found many young people found with a weapon, believe they need to carry them for safety. They believe they are at a disadvantage if they do not carry one.

“There are also occasions where young people bring items such as pen-knives or multi-tools into school to show off to their friends and do not consider the consequences of bringing these sorts of articles into school. They may not have committed a criminal offence but they will have breached school rules.

“Sadly, there have been incidents where children were found with weapons to self-harm and we are quick to work in partnership with school staff to provide safeguarding advice to ensure they get the emotional support they need. In situations where young children are involved in violent behaviour at school, they are dealt with robustly whilst still treating them as potentially vulnerable children too.

“Tackling knife crime remains a priority for Essex Police.

“This involves the use of weapons sweeps, stop and search, knife arches at schools and stations. Our officers also work alongside Trading Standards to raise awareness among shop owners about the importance of challenging underage customers and the law around selling knives and bladed objects.”

Mrs May, opening a summit in Downing Street yesterday said more than 100 experts will meet this week after the Government unveiled new plans which could see frontline workers in schools, hospitals and police stations accountable for failing to “spot warning signs” of violent crime among young people.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid floated the idea of a so-called “public health duty” intended to help spot the warning signs that a young person could be in danger, “such as presenting in A&E with a suspicious injury, to worrying behaviour at school or issues at home”.

A consultation in England and Wales will assess the extent to which those on the front line will be held to account for failing to prevent a young person getting involved in violence, a Home Office spokesman said.

The proposals are similar to the successful approach taken in Scotland, where knife crime has been treated as a public health issue for more than a decade, with a significant reduction in stabbings in Glasgow.

Opening the event, Mrs May said: “In the recent months we know we have seen an appalling number of young lives cut short or devastated by serious violent crime, including of course a number of horrifying incidents that took place just over this weekend.

“As we look at what’s happened, of course what we also see is that in many cases the perpetrators of these crimes are as young as their victims and this is something that has to be something of deep concern to us all.”

The Prime Minister said the problem affects “us collectively as a society” and must be tackled in a “co-ordinated” way.

“Of course we will always make sure that the resources and tools are there to be able to apprehend and deal with those who are carrying and using knives and that the police have what they need to do,” she said.

“But we cannot simply arrest ourselves out of this problem.”