Knives used in more than 500 offences in West Mercia in last year

The Government has confirmed another bid to clamp down on the possession of so-called 'zombie knives' and machetes, due to loopholes in previous laws.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal the extent of knife crime across the region – although it makes no distinction over the number involving the 'zombie knives' or machetes which are being targeted by the Government's latest crackdown.

In the 12 months up to March this year there were 584 offences involving a knife in West Mercia, one of the lowest numbers for forces across the country.

In the West Midlands there were 7,048 recorded over the same time period.

For Dyfed-Powys Police there were 228.

The figures highlight how many instances took place where people were injured in an assault involving a knife, with 312 cases in West Mercia, and 113 in Dyfed-Powys – compared to 3,143 in the West Midlands.

The ONS also worked out how many knife offences forces deal with per 100,000 crimes that are reported. For West Mercia the number is 45, for Dyfed-Powys it was 44, and for the West Midlands it was 118.

There have been a number of serious incidents involving knives in the county over the past 12 months.

They have included a man being stabbed in the York Road area of Shrewsbury in April and a 16-year-old boy being stabbed in the centre of Shifnal in May.

Earlier this year, in February, another 16-year-old was stabbed. He was attacked by a group wearing tracksuits and hoodies in the Woodside area of Telford.

The courts have also dealt with a number of people who have used knives to attack others.

In January Alfred Smith was jailed for four and a half years after attacking another man in The Crown and Sceptre pub in Minsterley.

Smith, of Oak Meadow, Bishop's Castle, left his victim with a 10cm gash that was pouring with blood.

In March John William Walker, 65, was sentenced for killing his neighbour at Fowler Close, Wellington, stabbing him several times.

Walker admitted the manslaughter of 52-year-old Mark Espley on grounds of diminished responsibility, and was detained under the Mental Health Act.

In January a judge also lifted an anonymity order preventing the identification of three teenagers who had stabbed an innocent man to death in the Rough Park area of Telford in June 2021.

Leo Pickford, who was 16 when the order was lifted, had pleaded guilty to murder and was jailed for 11 years, Ronnie Bevan, 15 at the time of the Judge's decision and Archie Pestridge, who was 16, were both jailed for 13 years after being found guilty at trial.