Schools in knife crime hotspots to get training with £1.2m investment

Up to 250 schools in knife crime hotspots will receive specialist training in a bid to divert children from serious violence, the government has announced. It said a £1.2m investment will help fund the measures, which could include mentoring for high-risk students and chaperones on school routes. It comes as the government is expected to set out more details of how it plans to meet its ambition to halve knife crime within a decade. The Conservatives accused the government of "massive cheek", saying it had "created this mess in the first place with their police cuts". The Liberal Democrats said "these measures alone won't be enough to end the plight" of knife crime. Reform UK said children were effectively being told "it's down to them to protect themselves". Knife crime continued a downward trend in 2025, with offences down by 9% on the year prior and pre-Covid levels, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics in January. While urban areas have long seen more instances of knife crime, some research suggests it has become more widespread over time. The Safety In and Around Schools Partnership will train school leaders on the risk of knife crime and develop "l