Nearly 4,000 weapons, including firearms, a Samurai sword and even a chainsaw, were seized at schools across Britain during the past three years after being used in crimes, figures obtained by the Express show. Police logs also revealed that deadly knives and a 3D-printed knuckle duster were used in crimes committed on school grounds last year.
Regional weapon seizures
In West Mercia, police logged one incident where the weapon involved was a gun, while Avon and Somerset recorded a pistol and Essex a BB gun. Hampshire police reported incidents at schools where the weapons used were a wrench, a flick knife, a razor blade and a machete. In Kent, police had seven incidents where a kitchen knife was used as a weapon and one where a person was found with a scalpel blade.
The tally of weapons in West Mercia included 16 knives, including one 3D printed knife and a Ninja knife. It also logged cases that involved a handgun, a crowbar, a javelin and a golf fork. Officers in West Midlands recorded a string of cases including 12 involving flick knives, seven knuckle dusters, five zombie knives and two machetes.
In Essex there were 35 cases involving a variety of knives, including one pumpkin carving knife, four pen knives and a butterfly knife. The force also recorded somebody being in possession of a Kubotan, a rod held in the fist to help stab and gouge an assailant.
Everyday items used as weapons
In Hertfordshire, police had one case where pepper spray was recorded, one incident of a person armed with a hammer and one where the suspect was found with an imitation firearm. Lancashire police dealt with 26 cases last year, of which the majority of offenders had armed themselves with a knife of some description, although there was one incident where a person had sharpened a ruler and another where they used a pair of scissors as a weapon.
Northumbria police had cases where the weapons involved included a drumstick, a knitting needle and fragments of broken glass. In Greater Manchester, police recorded cases that involved a hacksaw, a machete, an axe and a rolling pin.
Patrick Green, CEO of The Ben Kinsella Trust, said: “The volume and range of weapons being found in schools is profoundly alarming. The fact that police are recovering everything from kitchen knives and machetes to firearms and Samurai swords from school grounds should concern us all.
“Schools and police must continue to take robust action when weapons are found, but enforcement alone will never solve this issue. We need to place much greater emphasis on prevention and ensure young people receive the support and education they need before they ever consider carrying a weapon.”
Rising suspensions for weapons incidents
Separate figures released by the Department for Education showed a record number of occasions last year where children were sent home for a weapon-related offence. There were 15,308 occasions in the last school year where children were suspended for weapons incidents – an average of 80 every day – while another 766 were permanently expelled.
In the last three years, the number of occasions pupils were suspended for weapons incidents has increased by 7% from the 2021 figure of 13,170. Analysis of the statistics showed that children in Year 9 and Year 10 were most frequently suspended for weapons incidents. However, the statistics revealed the numbers were also rising among the youngest children in Reception and Year 1, which last year saw a total of 86 weapons-related suspensions.
Jane Peckham, deputy general secretary of the teachers’ union NASUWT, said: “Pupils and staff must be protected from offensive weapons being brought into schools.
“Schools should take all reasonable steps to prevent this and send out strong messages to pupils and the community that they operate a zero tolerance approach to weapon carrying and will report all incidents to the police.
“It must also be remembered that tackling the problem of violence cannot be left to schools alone, this is an issue which has its roots in wider society and requires a joined–up approach from police, Government, local authorities and schools.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Weapons have no place in schools and serious violence, including knife crime, has a devastating impact on children and communities, and the Government is address this as a top priority.
“Across government, we’re tackling knife crime by banning zombie-style knives and ninja swords, strengthening age verification for online knife sales, and rolling out schemes to prevent young people from being drawn into violent crime.”
