Knives, BB guns, razor blades and an axe are among the dangerous weapons to have been found in schools and colleges in Kent last year.

The frightening list of offensive items to have been seized and reported to police since 2022, also includes incidents of hammers, a baton, a machete-style blade, knuckle duster and even a shotgun cartridge, reports senior journalist Lauren Abbott.

A 13-year-old boy who stabbed a teenage girl in the street using a knife he was carrying in his school bag, was spared jail last month for the apparently motiveless attack that took place earlier this year.

The youngster, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, left his 15-year-old victim needing emergency surgery from the wound inflicted with a kitchen knife, that he transferred from his bag and put into his pocket shortly before he attacked her in Sittingbourne back in March.

Escaping with a 21-month youth rehabilitation order and a stringent package of additional conditions, the court heard the young defendant - who was aged 12 when he committed the attack - had previously taken the knife to school in the belief that he would himself come to harm.

Knives in school

Between January and October this year Kent Police dealt with 58 reports of someone possessing an offensive weapon in a school, college or university in the county - with knives listed in the bulk of alleged crimes.

Almost 40 blades of all shapes and sizes including kitchen knives, butterfly knives, pocket knives, a flick knife and those with a retractable blade were found, according to logs obtained by Kentonline under the Freedom of Information Act.

Swale, which includes towns Sittingbourne, Sheerness and Faversham, was the district with the highest number of reported possession of weapon cases - 11 from schools and colleges in the first nine months of this year.

Seven knives and one pocket knife were among the deadly items reportedly found on site as well as an axe, an air weapon and a BB gun.

Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge and Malling were the two policing districts with the lowest number of cases - with one report from each detailing a knife in an educational setting, up until the autumn.

Elsewhere in Kent this year were nine knives among pupils at Dartford schools and colleges, a razor blade and a weapon described as ‘sharpened plastic’ among four cases in Canterbury while five reports of weapons in Gravesham included three knives, one kitchen knife and an ‘imitation switch gun’.

Last year more than 50 knives were reportedly uncovered on education sites - among 71 offensive weapon incidents recorded in the county’s schools, colleges or universities.

Among the most serious was a machete-style Kukri knife discovered in Ashford.

The knife, which originates from South Asia, has a curved blade historically designed for farming tasks or cutting crops while a Kukri can also be used for traditional rituals or ceremonial reasons.

In Canterbury - the discovery of eight knives and one multitool were reported last year - while in Thanet five knives, one multitool and a retractable blade made up the seven cases from schools and colleges in the district in 2023.

Other dangerous weapons to have been found include pepper spray among four cases in Dover, a baton discovered in Maidstone amid 10 offences there that also saw an air weapon and two lock knifes brought to lessons while a hammer and a screwdriver were among Swale’s nine reports for possession of weapon offences reported in schools in 2023.

Kent Police, which has dealt with almost 200 crime reports since 2022 where someone has had an offensive weapon in a school, college or university, says the force works closely with teaching staff to convey to pupils the risks attached to carrying such dangerous items.

Chief Superintendent Shaun White said: “One weapon taken into a school or college is one too many and we work closely with education providers to give information and advice to pupils about the risks of carrying offensive items.

“As part of our neighbourhood policing model, each school has a single point of contact who works closely with other departments to provide intervention and support for young people.”

Offences will be investigated, explained Chief Superintendent White, and where possible police try to understand why children have decided to arm themselves with such items.

He added: “Offences will always be investigated in a proportionate way and officers will seek to take an educational approach where appropriate.

“In many cases a child will benefit from intervention by other agencies such as social services or youth offending teams to understand the reasons behind their behaviour, rather than entering into the criminal justice system.

“By working closely with the local authorities and schools, we will continue to take a proactive approach to warning young people about the dangers they place themselves and others in by carrying offensive items.”

Anti-knife pledges

Knife crime prevention charity The Ben Kinsella Trust was set up after 16-year-old Ben was stabbed to death by three strangers on his way home from a night out in north London in June 2008.

It works with schools to educate youngsters about the dangers of knife crime.

In 2022 - with support from the charity - Kent County Council, Kent Police and other agencies established the Commitment Pledge initiative to help dissuade young people in the county from being tempted to carry dangerous weapons.

Pledges see students promise not to use or carry weapons, to behave in a non-violent manner, to ask for help if needed, and to support their friends to act the same.

The pledge is typically presented during a special assembly, and once students understand the promises the headteacher can sign it on everyone’s behalf before it is displayed in a prominent location - while follow-up campaigns and school events keep the issue high on the agenda.

So far, more than 70 schools have signed- up, says KCC, which follows Violence Reduction Unit-funded school trips to The Ben Kinsella Choices and Consequences immersive exhibition in Essex two years ago.

A KCC spokesman explained: “A school is no place for weapons of any sort, and we expect schools to take robust action when anyone is tempted to bring one into school.

“Any case of this sort is concerning and worrying for people. We support senior school leaders to take the decisions needed to keep staff, pupils and communities safe.

“Working with the Violence Reduction Unit we have funded and established the knife pledge where schools receive workshops on knife crime and then sign a pledge to be a knife free school, which has seen more than 70 schools sign up to date.”

Speaking at the initial launch of Kent’s scheme in 2022 Patrick Green, CEO of The Ben Kinsella Trust, said research shows making such promises can impact on teenagers.

He explained: “Pledges work. Research shows that people who publicly pledge to do something are more likely to follow through than those who don’t.

“By committing to this pledge, young people in Kent will create a social pressure within their peer groups to make knife carrying unacceptable.

“Young people have a critical role to play in helping us to stop knife crime, and this pledge helps to amplify their voice to influence others to stay knife free.”

Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said with tens of thousands of pupils in in lessons each day it is important families remember that schools are ‘overwhelmingly safe places.

He added: “Schools are overwhelmingly safe places and it is rare for weapons to be brought onto the premises.

“Safeguarding is always a priority for school leaders and when such incidents do occur they are dealt with very seriously.”