Mayoral candidate to put in steel detectors to deal with knife crime

Every faculty ought to set up airport-style steel detectors to deal with knife crime, the Tory London Mayoral candidate has mentioned.

Susan Hall pledged to introduce ‘knife arches’ into each faculty within the capital if she is elected. The plans would make it the norm for all pupils to stroll by safety. At current, solely faculties in sure boroughs have knife arches.

Ms Hall additionally desires to equip frontline police with a metal-detecting ‘knife wand’, which might be much less intrusive, and to extend cease and search.

Conservative candidate for Mayor of London, Susan Hall (pictured), has pledged to put in ‘knife arches’ into each faculty within the capital if she is elected

It comes as paperwork launched below the Freedom of Information Act present pupils as younger as 5 have been caught with weapons, together with machetes, knuckledusters and zombie knives, prior to now yr.

More than 1,100 knife-related incidents have been recorded by police in faculties between September 2022 and final October. Ms Hall mentioned Mayor Sadiq Khan has spent ‘eight years flip-flopping on stop and search. It’s not adequate.’