Over half of young knife suspects are black, Scotland Yard figures reveal



Black youths are suspected of more than half of knife crime among children in the capital, according to confidential Scotland Yard figures.

A highly-sensitive report reveals that 124 of the 225 under-18s legally 'proceeded against' for knife offences in the past three months are from the black community.

Yet in the overwhelming majority of reported cases of knife crime involving young people, the victims are white.

Knives seized by the Metropolitan Police. Since January 1, 16 teenagers have been stabbed to death in London



In cases where ethnicity was logged by police, 222 of the 345 under-18s attacked or threatened with a blade since April 1 were white. Sixty-one were black.

The ethnicity of a further 292 victims aged under 18 was not stated.

One possible explanation is that in many cases, the victims are black gang members who did not wish to co-operate with police, meaning the figures do not necessarily give a complete picture.

The figures are the first comprehensive breakdown of knife crime and race in London, which has been hit by a spate of fatal stabbings involving teenagers.

They will reopen the debate on whether more robust stop and search tactics are needed to end the culture of knife carrying by youngsters.

Since January 1, 16 teenagers have been stabbed to death in London, forcing Scotland Yard to launch a high-profile campaign targeting youngsters and hot-spots of knife crime.

According to official figures, approximately one in eight of the London population is black.

The Scotland Yard knife statistics - which have caused alarm in the Home Office - also reveal interesting trends in other age categories.

In the 18-29 age bracket, 312 people were accused of knife offences from April 1. Of these 125 were white and 115 black.

Three hundred of the victims in this category were white, 153 black and 118 Asian.

For reasons which were unclear, the ethnicity of 407 was not stated.

Of the 741 people of all ages accused of knife crime between April 1 and June 30, 299 were white, 296 black, 40 mixed race, 70 Asian, 27 Chinese or other minority group and nine not stated.

This month Scotland Yard Deputy Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson suggested knife crime has overtaken terrorism as the top priority for London police.

Sir Paul made the remarks as he announced a specialist knife-crime unit to tackle teenagers carrying blades in the capital.

It will use a 75-strong team of specialist officers to target gang members and their associates.



A senior Home Office source said: 'No stone is being left unturned in the bid to drive down crime.

'Despite all the worrying headlines about knife crime in the capital, offences are actually down by 5.3 per cent this financial year, compared to the same period in 2007.'

Details of the Met's research on youth knife crime emerged days after David Cameron called for absent black fathers to take more responsibility for their children.

The Conservative leader demanded a 'responsibility revolution' to change patterns of behaviour.

Mr Cameron's comments were supported by leading members of the black community, who agreed that the lack of traditional family influences is a serious problem.

One of Britain's most prominent black police officers said Mr Cameron was right to highlight a 'crisis in fatherhood'.

Detective Inspector George Rhoden, president of the National Organisation of Black Law Enforcement Executives, said: 'In the black community we are all aware that there is major concern with gun and knife crime.

'Clearly we are not the only part of the community affected by absent fatherhood, but parental responsibility should be of major concern.'

Around 59 per cent of black Caribbean children and 54 per cent of mixed-race youngsters are looked after by a lone parent.

In the white British population, the figure is 22 per cent.