Knife crime pandemic
18 Jul 05
Police figures show true extent of knife crime
Murders involving knives in Strathclyde were three-and-a-half times higher than anywhere else in the UK according to new figures.
They reveal that since January there were 13 murders, 145 attempted murders and 1,100 serious assaults.
The figures, from the Violence Reduction Unit of Strathclyde Police, show that every week for the last six months there has been an average of six attempted murders involving a blade and 43 serious attacks.
The figures were revised to reflect that most crimes involving knives were not reported.
A recent study in hospitals in Glasgow found that about half of those treated for knife wounds did not report the offences to the police.