As newly released statistics show knife crime in north Kent has more than doubled in the past five years the father of a young actor killed outside a nightclub has called for far tougher sentences on those who carry weapons.

Greenhithe resident Colin Knox said he would like to see custodial terms of at least three months for offenders.

But he stressed the focus of that time should be on rehabilitation and that it should not necessarily be spent in prison.

His son Rob Knox had just finished filming Harry Potter when he was murdered.

A young acting talent with a promising career ahead of him, he was stabbed five times by a 22-year-old for whom knives had become a lifestyle.

Karl Bishop set upon 18-year-old Rob, of Maidstone Road, Swanley, after he dared to protect his younger brother outside MetroBar in Sidcup.

Bishop, who grinned and winked at Rob’s friends as he was led away by police, will be in his early 40s by the time he gets out of prison, presuming he serves the minimum term of 20 years.

A decade on from the brutal murder and dad Colin, 65, has just held the tenth annual Rob Knox Film Festival, an event which focuses on giving opportunities to the “99.9% of kids who are good” while highlighting the dangers of carrying weapons.

For him the latest figures, showing that in the past five years knife crime in Kent has more than doubled, are deeply troubling but not surprising.

“I’ve stopped reading newspapers in all honesty, it seems like every time I do there’s another story about a young life lost,” he said, adding that after Rob died there seemed to be a slump in such offences which gave him hope.

Sadly, the current situation seems bleaker than ever.

He describes the growing numbers - there were 1,322 offences last year - as an epidemic and points to a number of causes, including the emergence of County Lines drugs gangs - groups seeking a fresh marketplace outside of the capital but also potentially pushed out by disruptive policing.

He told our sister paper the Gravesend Messenger: “That’s definitely got a lot to do with the increase, but you’ve got to ask why these gangs are moving into Kent?

"I’m sure some of it is to do with branching out but The Met have clearly had some impact as well.

"Kent Police need to keep working with them and sharing intelligence.”

At this point the situation seems almost incurable, but if that’s the case, he says, why not try something different?

Campaigns and initiatives like those he and ex wife Sally Holder champion, such as the recently launched Rob Knox Film Academy in Chatham, are just one spoke of the wheel, education.

But the biggest difference, he thinks, lies in tougher sentences - a minimum three-month custodial term if you’re caught carrying a knife, to be precise.

Mr Knox, who recently moved from Ingress Park, Greenhithe, to Hawkinge, added: “That doesn’t mean prison time. It means getting those who carry knives off the streets, turning them round in three months and sending them back to a place far removed from that lifestyle.

“Currently kids are going to court and getting a slap on the wrist and that isn’t working.

"Even before they get there it’s often too late, policing focuses on solving crimes and not stopping them.

“There’s no way of bringing someone back after they die. The difference between a knife carrier and a murderer is a split second.

"We need to stop it from getting to that point.”

Knife crime in Kent has more than doubled over the past five years, with 1,322 incidents reported over the last financial year.

Its the first time the county has seen cases hit quadruple figures, and mirrors the dramatic increase in stabbings across London.

Almost half of reported cases happened in Kent’s northern division, which includes Dartford, Gravesham, Medway and Swale.

Offences in East Kent made up 36% of last year’s incidents, with just 19% of cases taking place in West Kent.

This stark contrast could suggest a link between knife crime in the north and the area’s close proximity to London.

The crime most commonly reported by officers was violence against the person, which made up 60% of offences.

The term covers an array of crimes, which can include verbal threats and harassment and physical violence, including murder.

North Kent has also seen the biggest rise in knife crime, with 593 offences reported last year, compared to 233 in 2013.

Other knife crimes included sexual offences, robbery, and public order offences.

The shocking figures come after The Home Office published its Serious Violence Strategy, which aims to prevent young people becoming drawn into lives of violence.

Restrictions are to be placed on the online sale of knives, and there will be a complete ban on certain weapons.

Chief Insp Tim Cook, of Kent Police, said: “While increases in reports of knife related incidents can look concerning it is important to note that these crimes range from criminal damage or threats being made to grievous bodily harm involving a sharp instrument such as a knife, razor, broken bottle or dart and do not always result in injury.

“Officers have and continue to take a proactive approach in targeting, arresting and prosecuting people who carry knives or sharp instruments which has played a part in contributing to this increase.

“As a force we regularly take part in Operation Sceptre which has been successful in identifying and arresting those who carry weapons.

“We have worked hard on education and intervention in the last year with officers, Police Community Support Officers and volunteer police cadets regularly visiting schools, colleges and youth clubs to encourage young people to make better life choices.

“We will not become complacent and are committed to tackling knife crime and removing dangerous weapons from our communities.

“We are aware that some people choose to carry a knife under the false belief it will provide protection but in reality it is more likely they will become a victim of knife crime or be arrested and prosecuted by our officers,” he added.