I believe the figure is just 9 maximum sentences imposed out of 28,000 arrested in a ten year period for carrying a knife - says it all really.

A.Carter, Huddersfield, W.Yorkshire

John Goode has it right - the antidote to violent crime is firm policing by professional policemen, not social scientists in uniform. There have been a number of examples in recent years where firm policies by police have produced results - not least in New York, and do not forget "Robocop".

C Beaumont, Saffron Walden,

Well Mrs B - 24 hour drinking, uncontrolled immigration, ineffective PC policing and a government with anti-family/anti British policies over the last 10 years have all contributed to the current situation. It can't all be laid at Gordon's door - have a word with hubby - I think he was there too!!

Milo, Uckfield, UK

The House of Lords refused to allow witness to give evidence anonymously and new Labour would rather see the cops fill in ethnic monotring and health and sfatey forms!

Luke, London, UK

I find it difficult to believe that children in a country who has as its leaders men and women who think little of killing hundreds of thousands of people in the middle east are unaffected by the example of the leaders.

Robert Good, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Publish the letters as a book.

They might help to put someone off, and "David" will know that at least one good thing has come out of it all.

Antonia Harper, Cambridge,

The criminal justice system lets us all down but worse, we let ourselves down by giving room to this permissive nonsense. Send a clear message - a weapon is a weapon. Carrying one shows intent (Mark Greenwood beware) and must attract a serious sentence. Nobody should be under illusions.

Tim, Kingston,

Homer There is a point in giving non academic kids an education that will give them employment later on. A kid who will not make the 5 grades required might make a fab mechanic. Comprehensive education is part of all of this failure. People who shouldn't keep a dog having kids is a big part too.

Cindy, Brighton, UK

Knife culture and the fear it brings has very largely been imported into our Country and Europe as police figures will sadly portray. It is another lifestyle. You only need to read to find that out. Statistics don't lie! Very sad but here to stay unless we are brave enough to confront it openly.

Pedro, london, UK

I have called the police several times in the last 3 years to sort out problems we have from the teen lad living next door with his mum and his sister. They have done nothing but pass the buck to "community policing". Won't be long 'til he's involved in his first knifing incident. Well, we tried

Yvonne, Doncaster, UK

I've been in court to see offenders in the dock as well Alice. Brazen, contemptuous, abusing family members of the people they've killed and people on the jury. The highlight for these sub-humans was the description of their victims' suffering.
The colour of pity for these 'people' is blood red.

Liam, Birmingham, UK

Many people are carrying weapons to protect themselves, including me (middle aged business man in suit).

Many kids, not all are just more aware than the liberal elite that there is a law and order problem.

Better to have a weapon than be the dead victim

Mark Greenwood, London,

I do not want to impregnate others with what seems to be an old and tiresome viewpoint, however In this case I venomently believe it is down to the parents. At what point since their birth were these boys not taught right from wrong?They should comprehend consequences.What happened to discipline?

Georgina Eldridge, Dungannon, Northern Ireland

Police and prisons for them, and no more touchy-feely.
And fine the parents to pay for it since they brought the kids into the world and then neglected them.
Oh, and stop encouraging single women, through the benefits system, to keep having hordes of children they are ill-equipped to bring up.

C Smith, Norwich, UK

"John Widger, Manchester" - studying what interests you is unlikely to be the same as studying what will prepare you for adult life (unless you want to be a games designer, and even that takes a lot of skill)

Homer, London,

Could you get permission from David to publish his letters? Perhaps young people would be less inclined to carry knives if they could read his story and imagine themselves in his position.

Sian , Manchester,

As evidenced by the recent, hurried scrapping of the Heinz Mayo ad; parents seem to be much more worried about their children seeing two men kissing each other - whereas images of two men stabbing each other/inflicting violence upon each other are considered perfectly decent.

Katie, Cardiff, Wales, UK

Wrong- the way forward is to bring back discipline in School.
The ONLY time that we have control of the young is during the years in school. Banning knives ? a joke-IT CAN'T Be Done .

brian spooner, gent, belgium

Alice is living in the world of 'Alice in Wonderland' the teenagers who carry knives, guns, etc. don't care what happens to them. IT has become 'their' culture to do this. To be one of the 'gang' is a must. To be out side a gang is to be a coward, or a fool.

victor arram, westcliff,

It is about power and because of liberal sentiments some children have construed the laxness of modern mores as being a space to be filled. They have actually turned against liberality because it is threatening, unstructured; they arm themselves against it. Better the state and rules than this.

Malcolm Turner, Alsager, England

It should be 5 years minimum for just carrying a knife (at any age), 15 years minimum for using one, and 25 years for a manslaughter/murder arising from such use.

Homer, London,

ultimately, your solution is wrong. It is not making youngsters see the failings of others that will solve this - but rather it is in making sure that if they carry knives they are caught and punished

Alastair Harris, DERBY,

We should bring in the death penalty for carrying a knife or gun. That would soon stop it! It´s getting far out of hand and no one seems to be doing anything at all!

matt, cardiff, wales

On a C4 programme last night about knives, a youth worker from Manchester was heard to say 'it is not the kids that are the problem, it is their behaviour that is the problem'. Frankly, I don't see the difference. This apologist nonsense is getting in the way of finding solutions.

paul, richmond,

MaryJ, San Francisco, USA says:
"gang members from a particular ethnic group that has extremely high violent crime rates "
She is right.
This is the elephant in the room which for PC reasons we ignore - so no fix is possible while we all pretend this issue does not exist.

Sean, Coventry, UK

I was left speechless recently when adult son demonstrated the latest version of computer game, grand theft auto. If this is what kids are exposed to (characters can roam streets, stabbing all and sundry), then no wonder some kids will carry this through to real life. They call it a GAME.

zoe, Birmingham,

I worked at a school for a while and one child was sent to a young offenders home. He wrote painful letters about his torment there, and having been out less than a week, he had once again assaulted someone incredibly violently, including jumping on their head. Sad

Rob, Singapore,

I think Alice's idea of exposing youths to the consequences is a good one. But what would have the biggest impact is to radically change our education system, which demotivates many; instead let them study things that interest them. If they have hobbies and interests, there's less need for gangs.

John Widger, Manchester, UK

I can't stop wondering all these youth crime started when young people having free bus 24/7. More and more teenagers wondering around late at night. What about the parents, I will not let my children go out that late for nothing or for no reason!

Mandy Wong, Erith, Kent

The greatest difficulty in all this is the phrase, 'only wounded'. Blame for that can extend to Hollywood and television generally. Could we try er, education? What is the worst result of a bullet or a knife in the guts? Not death, not swift recovery, but lifelong disability. Do kids know that?

John Carty, Medellin, Colombia

What is a life sentence with a minimum of 15 years? Life should be life and hard labour with it to pay for their food. No TV, no books or newspapers and cold. A few years of this and the message will filter through.

M Wilson, Bidache, france

Knife summits, consultation documents, studies, profiles all a total waste of time except for the PM photo op. Even wild Boris is towing the party line. Put these knife toting YOBS in leg irons and the stocks for 30 days then you watch then run.

Lloyd, London,

It might sound not very liberal, but plainly, whilst people are banged up the rest of society is protected. The idea that, carrying a knife carries an exemplary sentence 10 - 15 years or more - no remission, is the best option in our circs.

The man will crush your car, so why not your youth?

Damien, Monchengladbach, Germany

It wasn't "knife culture" that killed Mr. Kinsella. Abstract phrases don't kill people, but as long as there are those who believe they do, the problem won't be addressed. It was gang members from a particular ethnic group that has extremely high violent crime rates in your country, as well as mine.

MaryJ, San Francisco, USA

The established political parties have no answers - it is they who have brought us to this point in our nation's decline. Until people accept this fact, this will go on, and continue downwards.....

Paul Williams, London, England

And so, another young life tragically wasted, for what? forget sentencing, the offenders will only acquire new (skills) in prison at the taxpayers cost, the answer is simple, if you're caught carrying a knife, two years national service in Afghanastan, no question, no excuse, no exceptions!

Pat Tedd, Angouleme, France

The Justice System and the Police has been so bureacratised and mismanaged under Labour that even citizens who try to do the right thing, such as that man who made a citizens arrest on a yob, get arrested. Meanwhile they don't address the cause which is broken families, drugs and alcohol.

John Goode, Welwyn Garden City, UK