Five fatal stabbings were dealt with by Kent Police between April 2007 and April 2008.

In England and Wales in total there were 277 stabbing murders during that period - that's five a week.

The preliminary figures were obtained from police forces and, if confirmed, show the worst toll since records began.

This puts fatal stabbings at a 30-year high, according to the figures obtained by the Conservatives.

But the Government insists, overall, violent crime is down.

And it is announcing tougher community sentences for knife carriers.

New legislation will see knife crime offenders doing at least 18 hours community work a week.

How we compare with other counties

Here is the full list of killings by sharp instruments by police authority in England and Wales for 2007/8.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary 4

Bedfordshire Police no info

British Transport Police 1

Cambridgeshire Constabulary 4

Cheshire Constabulary 2

City of London Police 0

Cleveland Police 4

Cumbria Constabulary 3

Derbyshire Constabulary 2

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary 6

Dorset Police 3

Durham Constabulary 0

Dyfed-Powys Police 1

Essex Police 3

Gloucestershire Constabulary 1

Greater Manchester Police 11

Gwent Police 3

Hampshire Constabulary 9

Hertfordshire Constabulary 3

Humberside Police 7

Kent Police 5

Lancashire Constabulary 13

Leicestershire Constabulary 3

Lincolnshire Police 2

Merseyside Police 8

Metropolitan Police 86

Norfolk Constabulary 3

North Wales Police 3

North Yorkshire Police 0

Northamptonshire Police 4

Northumbria Police 15

Nottinghamshire Police 3

South Wales Police 6

South Yorkshire Police 6

Staffordshire Police 5

Suffolk Constabulary 2

Surrey Police 3

Sussex Police 3

Thames Valley Police 5

Warwickshire Police 3

West Mercia Constabulary 1

West Midlands Police 14

West Yorkshire Police 15

Wiltshire Constabulary 2

Total 277