More young people in Norwich carrying knives, police warn

Police in Norwich say they are working to tackle a rise in the number of young people carrying knives in the city.

Knife crime in general is on the up around the county, with figures in April revealing that crimes involving knives had tripled over five years.

Much has been linked to drugs gangs operating in the area, with police targeting violent crime and drugs over the last few years.

But chief inspector Sonia Humphreys, from Norwich police, said the force had noted a recent rise in the number of young people carrying knives.

MORE: Three teenagers arrested following two separate knife point robbers in Norwich

Over the weekend, three teenagers were arrested in connection with two - unconnected - knife point robberies in Norwich.

'We are seeing an increase in kids picking up knives and thinking it's an acceptable to be doing,' she said. 'So we are reinforcing messages about the effects of carrying knives and the effects on victims.

'It's a national trend, and we are focusing on preventative work to stop it getting to the point where we are involved. We are also working with other bodies, and going into schools to talk about the message.'

Chief inspector Humphreys said, speaking more widely, that in many knife crime incidents there was not a wider threat to the public, with those involved often known to each other.

In August, a teenager was arrested after a boy was robbed at knifepoint at McDonald's on Boundary Road.

MORE: Teenagers arrested following two separate knife-point robberies in Norwich released under investigation