Brazen criminals caught trying to smuggle knives and guns into court every day as 45,000 seized
The appalling figures come as Britain battles one of its bloodiest knife crimewaves in recent years
CRIMINALS are caught trying to smuggle knives and guns into courts every day in Britain, according to new figures.
More than 40,000 illegal blades, tasers, airguns and CS gas items were seized showing the shocking lack of respect some thugs have for the law.
The figures come as the nation is gripped by a knife crime epidemic — which saw three teenagers stabbed in three separate incidents on Friday night.
Over a period of just five years, 57 firearms and 44,683 knives were confiscated at court houses averaging a rate of around 30 every single day.
The unbelievable scale of the problem of weapons being carried by court users was unearthed in Ministry of Justice statistics, The Express reports.
Departmental figures counted the number of knives, razor blades, bladed instruments and weapons confiscated from individuals attempting to enter court buildings in England and Wales since 2013/14.
The number of knives seized included 10,459 which were longer than three inches and another 32,224 under three inches.
Although the number of large knives being confiscated has fallen, knives under three inches being found — including scissors and cutlery — has exploded by 115 per cent.
But the number of potentially deadly items swiped is much higher.
This is because records don't count some items like power tools which could be used as a weapon.
And the category "genuine firearms" included some weapons like Tasers and airguns.
John Apter, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: "We are in the grip of a national knife crime crisis where we are in danger of it becoming a cultural norm for some to carry weapons.
"These figures are an indicator of just how brazen some people are.
"The fact anybody would even consider taking a knife or even a firearm into a court is not only astounding but deeply concerning."
The HM Courts & Tribunals Service said the rise in seizures of smaller knives was in part down to people carrying knives to eat food.
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