MORE than 16,000 criminals caught with a knife have avoided going to jail, new figures show.

The Ministry of Justice has revealed, between April and June, only one in five people convicted of possession of a knife or offensive weapon were sent to prison.

More than half the criminals are fined, cautioned, or ordered to do community service, and there has been little change in the last couple of years.

The Haringey Independent launched the Don't Carry Don't Kill campaign in July, backing Enfield North MP Nick de Bois' call for six month mandatory prison sentences for under-18-year-old caught carrying a knife.

The Government has promised mandatory jail terms for adults caught with knives, and we are urging ministers to extend this policy to include teenagers.

The MoJ figures show the average jail term for someone who is jailed for having a knife is just 200 days, and just 12 per cent of those convicted will face a jail term of more than three months.

For 10-17-year-olds between April and June, 29 per cent were given a reprimand or a warning, and 56 per cent received a community sentence.

Just eight per cent of children caught with a knife were locked up.

We believe stronger deterrents to community service, fines, and cautions are needed to tackle a knife culture which is blighting our community.