Lethal weapon

A WICKED-LOOKING, double-bladed knife found in the possession of a pupil at the Littlehamp-ton Community School was bought for just £20 from Ford Market.

It is a potentially lethal weapon, has rung alarm bells both at the school and with the police and highlights the need for tighter controls over the selling and carrying of knives.

The 15-year-old boy took the ornate dagger, a replica blade of one used by the Orcs in the Lord of the Rings films, to show classmates and faces possible exclusion after a hearing of school governors next week.

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Geoff Davis, deputy head at the school, said: "We have a clear policy that knives of whatever sort must not be brought into school by students and we work hard to ensure that this policy is enforced.

"The school clearly supports the wider community in its efforts to educate young people about the problems related to the carrying of knives.

"On a personal level, I would welcome the increased regulation of knives and I'm very concerned about the ease of purchase of certain types of knives by young people locally and through increased use of the internet.

"The ultimate aim must be to ensure that people in our community are safe from the misuse of such potential weapons by stopping them ever being in circulation."

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It is unclear whether the boy bought the knife himself or whether it was bought for him. It is currently illegal to sell a knife to anyone under the age of 16 but campaigners say this is still too young and want the restriction extended until the age of 18.

Insp Mark Hammond, head of the Littlehampton neighbourhood policing team, said: "At the moment this is not a major problem in terms of the schools in our area, which are relatively safe and that's what I want to maintain.

"If you've got an offensive weapon and you're stopped on the street by the police you will be automatically arrested and have a criminal record which has ramifications for your future.

"I don't see the purpose of these things whatsoever. They are dangerous items which can be lethal.

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"It's not just down to the schools to address this problem, we need to work together as a comprehensive community.

"The schools, police and parents need to educate young children that these implements are not cool to carry but are potentially lethal weapons.

"By highlighting this issue now we can all work together to stop it becoming a serious problem.

"People selling these weapons in car boots sales or wherever can be assured that we will be linking in with trading standards to visit boot sales and prosecuting anyone found to be selling them illegally."

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David Brixey, head teacher at the Angmering School, said that schools need to provide a safe working place for everyone and play a key role in dealing with the issue of children and knives, educating young people on the dangers and consequences of carrying knives and other offensive weapons.

He said: "Incidents of students using offensive weapons in schools are very rare.

"It is important that this issue is kept in the public eye to ensure that we are all alert to opportunities to reduce the risks posed by offensive weapons.

"I believe that the Angmering School is a very safe place for everyone who works there but that is because we are not complacent and work hard on issues like this."

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