Children as young as five have been caught with offensive weapons such as knives in schools across Moray over the past six months.
The number of blades and other potentially dangerous items confiscated from pupils has risen sharply in 2018 leading to warnings about the “devastating consequences” of knife crime.
Figures released by Moray Council show that 12 weapons have been seized so far this year, compared to 11 during the whole of 2017.
Three knifes, two single blades and a kitchen utensil were just some of the items taken away from children.
Shockingly, primary school pupils are increasingly likely to be the culprits, with weapons seized from nine primary age pupils in 2018 – triple the number of seizures made last year.
In comparison, the number of secondary school pupils caught has more than halved.
The age of offenders has also fallen, with children as young as five having an offensive weapon confiscated from them.
There is almost half the school year still to go, meaning the figures could still rise.
Councillor Sonya Warren, chair of Children and Young People’s Services Committee believes that despite the rising numbers, the council is doing its best to combat knife crime.
She said: “I’m confident we have the correct procedures in place within our schools to deal with any incidents involving offensive weapons. There is a lot of good work being done to raise awareness of the dangers, including the No Knives, Better Lives campaign.
“We’ll ensure that this learning continues in the classroom and would encourage parents and the wider community to reinforce this message outside of the classroom to make sure it has the biggest impact possible.”
Offensive weapons are defined as any item made or adapted for use for causing injury to a person, which is why plastic knifes have been counted as “offensive.”
Between 2005 and 2015, only seven knives were found on school pupils, meaning that there has been a substantial increase in confiscations in recent years.
With police being contacted in almost all of the cases, Moray Chief Inspector Maggie Miller is eager for parents to warn their kids of the potential consequences of carrying an offensive weapon.
She said: “Young people and their parents and guardians must be aware that even if someone never intends on using a weapon, carrying one could result in devastating consequences, not to mention a potential criminal record.”