Idris Elba proposes dulling kitchen knives to curb stabbing deaths
Idris Elba proposes dulling kitchen knives to curb stabbing deaths
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There were more 50,000 serious knife crime offences recorded in England in the year ending June 2024. Actor Idris Elba has suggested more action can be taken to make kitchen knives safer to reduce stabbings across the country. The 52-year-old was speaking ahead of the release on Wednesday of Idris Elba: A Year Of Knife Crime, a documentary which sees the Luther star spend 12 months exploring the reality of the UK’s knife crime crisis.
![[The BBC film sees Elba meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the King]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/29/9/10/507317.jpeg)
Mr Elba claimed that around 25 per cent of stabbings are perpetrated using knives commonly found at home, and “areas of innovation” could help reduce this. "Not all kitchen knives need to have a point on them, that sounds like a crazy thing to say," he told BBC Radio 4. "But you can still cut your food without the point on your knife, which is an innovative way to look at it.".
There were more 50,000 serious knife crime offences recorded in England in the year ending June 2024. London has the highest rate of serious knife crimes. Between April 2023 and April 2024, 509 children under the age of 17 were hospitalised for injuries from knives and other sharp items, according to the Youth Endowment Fund.
The number of offences classed as “possession of an article with a blade or point” stood at 27,553 offences in the 12 months to June 2024, down 4% year on year from 28,582. "I've got three kids," Mr Elba said. "As a parent, that's always going through your mind.".
