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The police today warned that hundreds of knife offenders are escaping justice because of legal loopholes.

Mounting a sweeping attack on the Government's crime record, the Police Federation said many of those caught carrying knives were being cautioned.

The law requires officers to prove offenders are carrying for illegal purposes to prosecute. This has meant many criminals carry craft knives and similar weapons, knowing they can escape prosecution.

The federation also warned robbers were receiving no extra sentence for using knives.

Other loopholes are regularly used by defence lawyers exploiting the complexities of existing law to argue that an offender should be acquitted because they had been charged under the wrong piece of legislation.

The catalogue of flaws was revealed in a submission by the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, to the Commons home affairs select committee.

A special session on knife crime was being held following the recent fatal stabbings, including those of London teenagers Kodjo Yenga and Adam Regis.

The criticisms and proposed changes will be an embarrassment to the Government.

Home Office minister Vernon Coaker told the committee the Government had vowed to tackle this "hugely serious" issue.

Police said a new Knife And Offensive Weapons Act was needed to simplify existing legislation and introduce stronger powers.

These new measures should, it said, include legislation to ensure possession of a weapon while committing any other offence was considered when passing sentence.

The onus should be on the person carrying a knife to prove they are doing so for legal purposes.

The federation is also demanding the current definition of knife crime should be extended to include domestic violence.

The Government has proposed new measures including raising the maximum sentence for carrying a knife from two to four years and raising the age for buying a blade from 16 to 18, as well as longer term preventative work in schools.

Mr Coaker suggested officers should be given more effective guidance in how to implement the legislation.

Labour MP Martin Salter backed police demands, however, saying: "We should cut through this nonsense and bring it together in a Knife And Offensive Weapons Act."

Mayor Ken Livingstone told the committee 12,341 knife crimes were recorded last year by the Metropolitan Police.

frigidmagi wrote:You know... Why shouldn't the police have to prove that you're carrying a knife for illegal reasons? Isn't it innocent until proven guilty?

In the UK? No.

frigidmagi wrote:

In the UK? No.

So how does it work in the UK then? I had believed that we got the innocent until proven guilty from Britian.