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Knife crime has more than tripled across the police force area in the past seven years

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is to visit MK today (Wednesday) to discuss solutions to the city’s shocking knife crime statistics.

Knife crimes over the Thames Valley force area have more than tripled since 2015 and last year MK saw four fatal stabbings in a period of just 13 weeks.

Meanwhile, the number of police community support officers for the South East is down by a massive 43% since 2010, say Labour.

Knife crime has soared in MK over the years

Ms Cooper will meet with MK’s Labour parliamentary candidates Emily Darlington and Chris Curtis at the Hazard Alley Safety Centre to discuss the surge with police, businesses and campaigners.

She said: “Knife crime is absolutely devastating for communities... with young people too often lured into gang violence by dangerous criminal gangs.

“But the Conservatives have no plan to tackle this serious problem. For too long, they’ve sat back and shrugged their shoulders while communities suffer the consequences.

"The next Labour government will take knife crime seriously, taking the strongest action against online sites promoting and selling dangerous knives, and putting 13,000 extra neighbourhood police and PCSOs on Britain’s streets.”

Statistics show there were 372 knife crimes throughout Thames Valley force in 2015, skyrocketing to 1,201 last year - an increase of more than 200%.

Across the South East region, knife crime has increased by 81% since 2015.

Labour has pledged a £360m neighbourhood policing package, putting 13,000 additional officers on Britain’s streets.

Politicians gather in Milton Keynes to discuss city's soaring knife crime statistics