It was once a crime commonly committed elsewhere – but now the number of people being stabbed on Kent's streets appears to be on the rise.

Last year, there were 104 reports of crimes involving knives in Maidstone – the equivalent of two a week – and the County Town has experienced the tragic consequence of the extreme violence. Liane Castle finds out what's being done to tackle the problem.

Last week three men were stabbed in Folkestone.

In June a man was taken to hospital with stab wounds after an incident in Upper Road, Maidstone. Another occured in the town just days later.

A 16-year-old girl from Sittingbourne was left fighting for her life after being stabbed "around 50 to 60 times" in July.

Sadly, when the news breaks of a stabbing in Kent, it doesn't seem so shocking any more.

But despite what on the surface appears to be a rise in knife crime, Kent Police say incidents remain 'rare' and over the past year there has been a fall in the number of reported offences.

The decline could be put down to Covid-19 and the various lockdowns that have kept people at home over the past 18 months.

But despite the decline, Thanet, Medway and Swale are the areas of the county that have recorded the most knife-related incidents and arrests over the past year.

Swale has seen 136 incidents the same as the previous year, Thanet had 155, down three from the year before, and Medway takes the top spot with 272, down 38 on the previous year, although it does cover a much larger area.

They also have the highest number of arrests over the same period from 31 March 2020, to 1 April 2021; Swale at 87, Thanet had 89, and Medway had 156.

Detectives are hunting a man who stabbed a teenager four times in Chatham.

The 14-year-old was walking along a footpath near Albany Road when he was approached by a stranger.

When the youngster's refused to hand over his phone and wallet, the man stabbed him before running from the scene.

Earlier this month, two teenagers were arrested after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed in Newington Road, Ramsgate.

A 14-year-old boy from Ramsgate was arrested on suspicion of assault, and a 16-year-old girl, also from Ramsgate, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a bladed article.

Both have been bailed until September 1.

The areas with the lowest levels of knife crime are Sevenoaks with 138 incidents, Tunbridge Wells with 145, and Tonbridge and Malling with 149 over the past three years.

Maidstone sits roughly in the middle with 104 incidents of knife crime recorded over the last 12 months, and 320 over the past three years.

The figures do not include offences of murder or for possession only.

Not all of them will have involved someone being stabbed, but these figures do include incidents where knives have been involved in assaults, attempted murder, wounding and sexual offences.

Another incident which lead to a 17-year-old being convicted of murder goes back to 2019.

Vasilios Ofogeli killed Andre Bent after a rap concert outside the Gallery Nightclub in Bank Street in August following a show by rapper MoStack.

The 17-year-old was found guilty of the student's violent death, two other attempted murders and another charge of wounding with intent. He was jailed for life and told to serve a minimum of 20 years.

The teenage killer, who murdered Mr Bent with a machete, recorded a track from his cell boasting about how he'd killed one person and said it 'should have been more.'

And one of the men involved in the brawl outside the club which resulted in the death Mr Bent, was also jailed for 11 years last week.

Kayode Badejo, who was a friend of murdered man, stabbed a rival and hid the knife during the fracas which followed.

Following the killing, concerned parents, residents and those who wanted to see a change in the community headed to Jubilee Square weeks later for an anti-knife crime rally.

More than 50 people joined forces in the square, with a list of demands in hand.

In May 2020, father-of-three Jamie Simmons was stabbed to death outside his home in Shepway. Kieron Nicholson was accused of his murder but was found not guilty at trial.

Divisional Commander for west Kent, Chief Superintendent Rob Fordham said: "Kent Police remains committed to tackling knife crime and our officers continue to take a zero-tolerance approach in targeting, arresting and prosecuting those who think it is acceptable to carry weapons on our streets.

"Knife crime thankfully remains rare in Maidstone and over the past year we have seen a fall in the number of reported offences including assaults with knives and for possession of knives.

"While some of this reduction can be linked to Covid restrictions on people’s movements, we are also continuing to carry out targeted operations in the town to tackle violent crime and proactively identify offenders.

"We are determined to do all we can to keep our communities safe, and additional support from newly-created units such as the Maidstone Task Force and PSCO Problem Solving Task Force are bolstering the work our plain-clothed and uniformed patrols already do to achieve this.

"We are also providing additional resources in policing the town centre during busier times in evenings and during weekends.

"In Kent as a whole, like many other areas in England, one of the main challenges in recent years has been the emergence of violent county line gangs.

"In response to this the force has increased its focus on knife crime and the culture that surrounds it, to ensure we keep people safe.

"As such, areas including Maidstone now additionally have dedicated county lines and gangs enforcement teams who provide further robust enforcement in tackling violent crime."

In a bid to equip, train and prepare businesses should the worst happen, more than 500 life-saving Emergency Trauma Packs (ETPs) have been distributed to public spaces across the county.

In 2019 Maidstone became the first town in the county to offer them to town centre traders after Kent Police and One Maidstone Business Improvement District joined forces to roll them out.

They have been designed to be used in medical emergencies such as a stabbing, terrorist attack or a road traffic accident.

The packs come in two sizes, with the larger one costing £500 and containing dressings, bandages, a stretcher, a resus shield, thermal blankets and haemorrhage kits.

A smaller bleed control version is also available for £80.

Businesses including Fremlin Walk, McDonald’s in Week Street, McDonald’s in Broadway, The Brenchley and The Mall each have a pack.

The scheme is now run by Maidstone Borough Council's Community Protection Team.

Ashford Borough Council has 31 small kits and four large ones at key venues.

Distinctive red signs will let passers-by know that an ETP is available on site.

Staff are given free training on how to use the equipment and what to do if a traumatic incident does occur.

An incident in Lower Stone Street, Maidstone earlier this year prompted police to introduce a knife bar days later when England beat Denmark at the Euro 2020.

A knife bar acts like a metal detector and was first used in Brenchley Gardens in Maidstone in 2019.

Despite the raucous celebrations after the Three Lions' victory, only two people were arrested for affray.

Officers had a range of proactive measures at their disposal, including weapon sweeps and the knife bar, as they monitored areas such as Brenchley Gardens, Week Street, Earl Street and Jubilee Square.

Maidstone Borough Council has also begun discussions on how to introduce a crackdown on violence, crime and littering.

This could include banning street drinking and blanketing Brenchley Gardens, a hot spot for antisocial behaviour, with CCTV.

The council's deputy leader, Cllr Jonathan Purle said a key element would be obtaining more police cover for the town centre.

Initial suggestions will be discussed at a meeting of the council's Communities, Housing and Environment Committee on August 31.

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