More than 1,000 children and teenagers were admitted to hospital with stab wounds last year as Britain’s knife epidemic continued to escalate.

The victims, who included two youngsters under the age of five, were treated for assaults with knives and other sharp objects at hospitals across England.

A health chief warned last night that doctors are particularly concerned by the popularity of ‘Zombie knives’ – huge weapons with serrated blades, which have become a status symbol among gang members.

Admissions for stabbings among all age groups have soared by almost a third in five years, with 4,986 cases in 2017/18, compared with 3,849 in 2012/13.

Police in London found all five of these deadly combat knives being carried by just one 14 year old boy

Alarmingly last year’s victims included two pre-school children, aged one to four, and two primary pupils aged five to nine

Worryingly, those involving young victims are rising more rapidly still, NHS figures show.

Last year, 1,029 people aged 19 or under were admitted to hospital following deliberate assaults with a sharp object – up 55 per cent from 659 five years previously. Of these, 347 were aged 16 and under – up by 93 per cent from 180 in 2012/13.

Alarmingly last year’s victims included two pre-school children, aged one to four, and two primary pupils aged five to nine. Another 57 victims were aged ten to 14.

The figures could be even higher because they do not include those who receive minor treatment in A&E or other urgent care units. These cases are not recorded as admissions.

Health bosses said the scourge was devastating families and diverting doctors away from other emergencies. They blamed easy access to knives on the high street and online and called on retailers to stem the tide of available weapons.

Professor Chris Moran, national clinical director for trauma at NHS England, said: ‘Violent crime destroys lives, devastates families, and diverts doctors’ time away from other essential patient care. Hospital visits linked to knife crime and other violence is a major cause for concern and puts extra pressure on our expert staff.

‘Far too many young people are able to buy knives on the high street, and we need councils and retailers to work together to stop this.’

Professor Moran added: ‘Nobody should be able to buy a weapon like a Zombie knife – they are only designed to inflict terrible wounds, to maim and kill people.

‘It’s heartbreaking to see a young man with his whole future ahead of him killed or in a wheelchair with his life changed forever.’

Hospitals in England treated nearly 18,000 patients for wounds caused by knives last year. But 4,986 of these were recorded as being the result of deliberate assaults.

The hospital statistics, compiled by NHS Digital, show more than 90 per cent of victims were male and the average victim age was 30.

The data does not give details on the number of fatalities, length of admission or treatments needed, such as surgery. But doctors suggest many patients will need long-lasting care for both the mental and physical impact of their trauma.

A so-called 'Zombie knife' stands beside relatively small combat knives in evidence tubes held by Hackney Police

The stark NHS figures follow a year of violence, with police data revealing that knife crime surged by 12 per cent nationally in the last year to 40,000 offences – more than 100 offences a day.

In London alone, there were 134 killings in 2018, with children and teenagers making up more than a fifth of victims.

The tide of violence has shown little sign of slowing, with Lejean Richards, 19, this week becoming the ninth person to be killed in the capital this year.

Medics performed surgery in the street, but were unable to save him after he was stabbed 500 yards from Prince George’s school in Battersea, south London, on Tuesday evening.