CAMPAIGNERS say tough new court orders to impose curfews and social media restrictions on youngsters carrying knives could help save lives.

The Metropolitan Police is trialling the new court orders, known as knife crime prevention orders, aimed at stopping people as young as 12 from carrying knives.

Under the pilot, which began on Monday and could be rolled out to other forces in England and Wales, any officer can apply to a magistrates’ court for an order to be imposed on a youngster they believe is carrying blades, regularly has knives or has knife-related convictions.

Under the new court orders, they could find themselves facing conditions such as curfews and restrictions on their use of social media.

They could be banned from travelling to certain geographical areas as well as being stopped from carrying a blade.

Southend anti-knife campaigner Mac Pemhiwa said he thinks it would help cut knife crime in south Essex.

The town has seen a series of serious offences in recent months.

He said: “I definitely think something like this could be useful in our area.

“There’s been a lot of knife crime in London and it’s been spilling over into Southend and other parts of Essex.

“I think anything like this is a good idea.

“The kids need to know there are consequences for carrying a knife and they also need to understand the risk to carrying a knife to themselves and others too.

“I don’t think orders like this will be enough to stop it completely but I think it will help to reduce knife crime in south Essex.

“I think it could go some way to helping to save lives and stopping knife attacks in Southend and south Essex.”

READ MORE >>>

The orders can be in place for a maximum of two years and must be reviewed by the courts after 12 months, with orders issued to under-18s to be reviewed more regularly.

The courts can also call for a range of activities to take place such as educational courses, sports club referrals, relationship counselling, anger management, mentoring and drug rehabilitation under the orders.

Breaching the order will be a criminal offence, punishable by a maximum prison sentence of two years if convicted.

It comes after a number of knife attacks including killings in Southend and south Essex.

Luke Bellfield, 18, from Rayleigh was murdered in a knife attack near the Peterboat in Old Leigh on February 25.

Then a 15-year-old was stabbed in the back in Dunster Avenue, Westcliff on June 30.

But Ron Woodley, Independent deputy leader of Southend Council, hit back at the trial and said this is police carrying out the job of parents.

He said: “This is what the parents should be doing.

“Nobody, especially young people, should carry a knife, and they shouldn’t be out too late and there should be parental control over where they are going.

“Parents should be doing their job which is parenting.

“This all sounds good but the fundamental problem we have is parents should be doing this sort of thing.

“This puts additional pressure on police and while the Met Police has loads of officers, the rest of the country is starved of police officers.”

Commander Ade Adelekan insists the 14-month trial of knife crime prevention orders by the Metropolitan Police is aimed at trying to reach youngsters who are “on the cusp” of violence.

He said it “will not criminalise” them but try and help turn them away from crime.

He said of the scheme, which uses civil orders: “If we did not have knife crime prevention orders, the time we catch up with young people is when they are in a court of law.

“It is too late then.”

Commander Adelekan said police can start to look at a person who has been involved in a knife crime-related offence on two or more times to see if the order is suitable for them.

“If we identify people who are on the cusp of knife crime, there is stuff that we can do.

“Part of that is a knife crime prevention order with positive requirements for them to do positive things.”

He added: “It is not about the usual suspects – it is about some of those young people on the cusp of violence and trying to prevent them from getting involved in violence.”

He said: “If this really does work then I suggest we need to evaluate this properly as to why it does work. But if it doesn’t work also I think we need to stop it fairly quickly.”