Knife crime total down 7%

FIGURE FOR LAST YEAR REFLECTS NATIONAL TREND

- By STAFF REPORTER

KNIFE crime fell last year, government figures show.

The number of knife offences recorded by Leicestershire Police stood at 715 in 2025-a 7 per cent fall on the 775 a year earlier.

Overall in England and Wales, knife crime was down 10 per cent over the same period.

Homicides involving a knife or sharp instrument fell by 21 per cent.

The total of 172 knife homicides was the lowest annual number since comparable data began in 2010/11.

The fall helped drive down the total number of homicides last year, which stood at 503, down 6 per cent from 534 in 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Levels of police-recorded knife crime are now at their lowest since the early stages of the pandemic.

A total of 49,151 knife offences were logged by forces in England and Wales in 2025, down from 54,548 in 2024.

Two-thirds of police forces in England and Wales (29 out of 44) recorded a year-on-year fall in incidents of knife crime in 2025.

Nearly half of forces (20) saw a fall in homicides.