Stab victims up by 40%

4:01pm Tuesday 8th July 2008

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THE number of people admitted to hospital with stab wounds in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has risen by 40 per cent in the last five years, figures obtained by the Lib/Dems have revealed.

The figures, contained within a parliamentary answer to the Lib/Dems show that there were eight 16 to 18-year-olds admitted to hospital for stab wounds in 2005/6.

There are on average 19 people each year admitted to hospital in Hampshire with gunshot wounds. Overall, the number of hospital admissions for stab wounds has gone up from 67 in 2002/2003 to 94 in 2005/2006.

Romsey MP Sandra Gidley said: "This shocking increase shows the Government's strategy on knife crime is failing in Hampshire.

"The Government repeatedly claims that crime is falling, but these figures show that serious attacks requiring hospital admission are up. What is most disturbing is that the knife-carrying culture is affecting young people in the county.

"Teenagers don't feel safe on our streets, and this is only fuelling the spiral of knife crime across the county," said the MP.

"Instead of spending billions on unworkable and unnecessary ID cards, the Government should spend the money on actually making people safer by putting more bobbies on our local streets."