Children as young as three are getting caught up in knife crime in Kent - with a huge rise in offences involving blades over the last five years.

Figures show there were 937 recorded offences with knives/sharp instruments in 2014, that's up from 723 in 2010, an increase of around a third.

The Freedom of Information figures from Kent Police show that in 2013 a three-year-old child was detained.

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Last year the youngest questioned was an eight-year-old.

In July , tougher penalties were introduced which mean adults in England and Wales convicted more than once of being in possession of a blade face a minimum six-month prison sentence and maximum of four years.

Young offenders, aged 16 or 17, now face a minimum four-month detention and training order.

Lennox Rodgers, 52, from Greenhithe, started using a knife when he was 19.

"I carried a knife because I was getting problems from other people just saying derogatory remarks about me.

"Having gone through a lot of racism and abuse when I was younger I just didn't want to put up with it anymore.

"I felt more confident and safer with it, it gave me a sense of power.

"I was so enraged with my experiences I was ready to use it.

Lennox then became involved in two criminal gangs in his 20's and spent time in prison.

He said: "One of the gangs was a gang of drug dealers.

"I stabbed several people, not just with a knife, but with a screwdriver. I had a lot of violent clashes with violent people.

"I was one of three who acted like an enforcer. If people got into debt they would send me.

"I ended up with a reputation, single mums would come to me who smoke cannabis. They would say a guy has ripped them off who's selling them drugs and I'd be asked to sort it out.

"I'm not proud of what I've done.

"I've been back to the places where I have stabbed people and managed to apolgise to one of my victims.

"He forgave me. Which was a massive thing for me."

Lennox Rodgers now runs the Dartford-based crime prevention charity Refocus.

They work with young people who have breached the criminal justice system.

He says harsher consequences will set a clear example to young people: " There needs to be tougher sentencing.

"A lot of police are finding they are arrested offenders but when they go to court they're just having their wrists slapped.

"Measures need to be put in place. Everybody needs to work together. Parents need to be empowered. We need to see as a community that it's not tolerated.

"School teachers have the job of teaching children and often they have to manage large groups. There needs to be support in place for them too.

"We work with young ex-offenders who say they were or are being taken control of by older young people. We teach them to let go.

"I never had anybody like Refocus to talk to me. Other criminals who were older than me would try to take me under their wing and mentor me.

"I never used to say anything nice about police officers, but having worked on the ground and seen the amount of officers who actually care. It's good to see.

The statistics also show there were 1,144 offences with a bottle or glass and 377 with a hammer.

Sexual assaults with knives increased from none in 2010 to eight in 2014.

There were a total of 15 offences of possessing a knife on a school premises over that same time.

Superintendent Simon Thompson is from Kent Police, he says the force takes knife crime incredibly seriously.

"Those who carry do carry knives should know that we will not tolerate it and we actively seek to prosecute anyone who breaks the law on carrying or using knives and weapons.

"Throughout the year we run many operations in Kent using technology to try and detect those carrying knife, and where we are aware of particular problems we have a range of tactics to combat it.

"It's incredibly rare for children as young as eight be involved in knife crime.

"However we do recognise that children and young people are likely to be a victims and offenders.

"The force works in partnership with the charity Breaking the Cycle in Kent Schools.

"This programme helps pupils looks at the impact of violent crime and how they can use non-violent means to resolve issues."