The number of knife and offensive weapon offences dealt with by the criminal justice system has hit a nine year high, official figures have revealed.
More than 22,000 offences of possessing or making threats with blades or offensive weapons resulted in a conviction or caution in England and Wales in 2018-19.
One in five of the culprits was aged between 10 and 17, figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) show.
The statistics also showed that almost two-thirds of cases did not result in an immediate prison term.
The figures, released quarterly and based on estimates, are broadly in line with the data published three months ago.
The statistics showed that, in 2018-19, the criminal justice system dealt with 22,041 knife and offensive weapon incidents – an increase of 34% on the same 12-month period to March 2015.
The latest figures show the highest number of offences dealt with since the year ending March 2010, when there were 23,667 cases.
The figures come as West Midlands Police launched a murder investigation into a fatal stabbing in Coventry.
Officers were called just after 2.30pm on Wednesday to reports of a fight involving several young men in which a man in his 20s was fatally injured.
Robert Buckland, justice minister, said the government is committed to doing “everything in its power” to stop knife crime and its devastating consequences on lives and communities.
He said: “These figures show that if you are caught carrying a knife you are more likely to be sent to prison – and for longer – than at any time in the last decade.
“But we are doing more – the government’s Offensive Weapons Act will make it harder for young people to buy knives and help the police target those most at risk of being drawn into serious violence.”
The statistics showed that, in 2018-19, the criminal justice system dealt with 13,986 offences of possession of an article with a blade or point.
This represents the highest figure since 2009, when there were 14,238 such cases.
It means the number of offences for possessing a knife or similar weapon rose for the sixth consecutive year.
In addition, there were 7,175 cases where an individual was found with an offensive weapon other than a knife or a blade, and 880 where a blade or weapon was used to make threats against others.
The combined total of 22,041 is the highest since 2010, when it stood at 23,667.
In 4,451 instances – 20.2% of the total – the offender was aged 10 to 17. The was down from 4,506 the previous year.
The percentage of incidents resulting in an immediate custodial sentence was 37.3% – the same as the previous 12 months.
Suspended sentences rose from 18.9% to 19% during the same period, while the percentage of those receiving a caution dropped from 11.5% in 2017-18 to 11.1% in 2018-19.
The MoJ said the average custodial sentence given to offenders under Section 28 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 was 7.9 months in the year ending March 2019.
This has risen from the first full year after the legislation was introduced in the year ending March 2017, when it was 7.1 months.
Over the same time period, the average custodial sentence length has
increased from 7.2 to 7.9 months for adults and 5.9 to 7.7 months for 16- and 17-year-olds.