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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| First knife crime rise in four years | First knife crime rise in four years |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Knife crime across England and Wales has risen for the first time in four years, official figures have revealed. | Knife crime across England and Wales has risen for the first time in four years, official figures have revealed. |
| Police recorded 13,488 knife assaults in the year ending March 2015, up 13% from 11,911 the previous year. | Police recorded 13,488 knife assaults in the year ending March 2015, up 13% from 11,911 the previous year. |
| The Office for National Statistics said the increase was "real" and was unlikely to be due to changes in police recording practices. | The Office for National Statistics said the increase was "real" and was unlikely to be due to changes in police recording practices. |
| The separate Crime Survey for England and Wales said that crime fell overall by 7% - continuing a downward trend. | The separate Crime Survey for England and Wales said that crime fell overall by 7% - continuing a downward trend. |
| It suggested that crime had fallen to its lowest level since 1981, estimating that there were 6.8 million crimes in 2014/15. | It suggested that crime had fallen to its lowest level since 1981, estimating that there were 6.8 million crimes in 2014/15. |
| The survey is a rolling project that interviews people about their experiences of crime, whether or not they have gone to the police. | |
| In contrast, the ONS data suggested that police recorded crime increased by 3%, with 3.8 million offences recorded in the year ending March 2015. | In contrast, the ONS data suggested that police recorded crime increased by 3%, with 3.8 million offences recorded in the year ending March 2015. |
| The ONS said this was driven by a 23% rise in violence against the person offences - but it said this increase was thought to reflect changes in recording practices. | The ONS said this was driven by a 23% rise in violence against the person offences - but it said this increase was thought to reflect changes in recording practices. |
| Law change | |
| This comes ahead of tougher penalties, due to come into force tomorrow, that will mean adults convicted more than once of being in possession of a blade face a minimum six month prison sentence and a maximum of four years. | |
| Young offenders, aged 16 and 17, will face a minimum four month detention and training order. | |
| The ONS data showed that possession of knife offences rose by 10%, sexual assaults with knives went up 28%, and the overall knife crime rise was 2%. | |
| There was a decrease in robberies involving knives, down 14% from 11,927 to 10,270. | |
| Analysis | |
| By Dominic Casciani, BBC home affairs correspondent | |
| These figures won't be a surprise to many senior police officers. The signs of a statistical U-turn began appearing last year - and last month's figures showed a definite rise in injuries in London. | |
| So what's going on? Knife crime has been falling in England and Wales since a huge and concerted police effort in 10 areas after record figures in 2008. | |
| That long-term operation included a lot of intelligence-led stop and search operations with officers asking communities to identify the gangs and riskier street corners. | |
| But stop and search has been falling after the home secretary told forces to rethink how they're using it. | |
| She said nobody wins when it's used poorly - particularly if used unfairly against young black men. | |
| So if the rise in knife offences is linked to that fall in using stop and search, can the police find a way to use it intelligently to keep weapons off the streets? |