THE NUMBER of criminals sentenced or cautioned for knife and offensive weapon crimes in Gwent last year reached its highest levels in seven years.

At least 176 knife and offensive weapon crimes resulted in a caution or sentence in Gwent in 2019 - the highest number since 2012 - according to new Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures.

According to the MoJ, the real figure could be higher as there can be delays updating police records for recent offences.

The figure includes possession of, or threatening with, a knife or other offensive weapon.

The data also shows that offenders in Gwent were sent straight to prison on 50 occasions last year.

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An estimated 22,300 knife and offensive weapon crimes were handled by the criminal justice system across England and Wales last year - a 10-year high.

And an estimated 8,383 of them resulted in immediate custody - the highest number since records began in 2009.

The average time an offender spends in prison has also crept up over the last four years - to eight months.

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said: “We are committed to keeping our communities safe and addressing incidents of knife crime in our Force area.

“There are a number of ways that we are addressing knife crime in Gwent, including taking part in national initiatives such as Operation Sceptre, which runs amnesties to remove knives from our streets.

“As part of daily policing, our officers also gather intelligence to enable them to identify, stop and search those most likely to commit violent crime.

“Local communities can have confidence that anyone caught carrying a knife in Gwent, no matter the reason, will be stopped, searched and any weapon seized. They will be dealt with proportionally through the criminal justice system.

“Every knife taken off the streets is another life potentially saved.

“Anyone with information relating to individuals involved in knife crime should call Gwent police on 101 or direct message us via Facebook or Twitter. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency always dial 999.”