Children in Sussex ‘carrying knives for protection’ as knife crime skyrockets

Crimes involving a knife or bladed instrument have risen by 222 per cent since 2011, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), compared to a national increase of 45 per cent.

The overall knife crime rate in Sussex is still lower than the national average, but the chief executive of knife crime charity The Ben Kinsella Trust, Patrick Green, said the numbers must be brought under control to stop children taking matters into their own hands.