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Families of violent criminals should lose their council homes to help combat the rise in knife crime , a Tory MP has suggested.

Victoria Atkins, a Home Office minister, says evicting violent offenders from social housing would deter young people from becoming involved in a life of gangs.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Atkins became the first minister to publicly back a trial eviction scheme in North London that will examine new ways to combat the surge in crime.

Young offenders would "understand the consequences" if they persisted in committing offences, she said.

“In the most serious cases, with these people who are exploiting young people, making the lives of local residents a misery, putting fear into people’s hearts when they’re picking children up from the school gates, I think absolutely they should understand the consequences of their criminal behaviour.”

(Image: AFP)

Evictions would force council tenants to find alternative accommodation in the private sector, often at significantly more expensive rates.

Experts says pressure from family members is an effective way of steering young people from the clutches of gangs.

The trial will operate in area where at least 14 gangs compete for territory and will use NHS staff and community resources to work with youngsters aged 10 to 24 considered most at risk.

Ms Atkins said: “We want to intervene at an earlier stage and prevent them getting into these criminal gangs and criminality in the first place.”

(Image: Getty)

She described the surge in knife crime as "very worrying" and also suggested parents should check their kitchen drawers to make sure their children were not taking weapons from their home.

So far this year there have been 1,300 stabbings in the capital alone, according to the Metropolitan Police.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has blamed cuts to front line police staff for the rise in violence and called on the government to increase the Met Police force by 6,000 officers.

"All of us except for the Government accept there’s a link between cutting resources and serious violent crime.

"That’s not the sole reason by the way, but there’s a link."