A NATIONAL rise in knife crime has prompted calls to stop the epidemic spreading to Carlisle.

The Border City has lower rates of knife crime than larger cities such as London, but councillors have warned against complacency.

Speaking at the city council’s Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Panel on Thursday, they said it was important to “keep an eye” on the escalating crisis and to work with other organisations to tackle the scourge.

Stephen Sidgwick, the panel’s vice chairman, said: “Some concerns have been expressed to me about the rise in violent crime in cities.

“I would like, if possible, at this Health and Wellbeing committee to keep an eye on that situation, and work with all the authorities who are responsible for ensuring this doesn’t spread to this city.

“We are very grateful we do not have much knife crime, but I don’t think it is something that we should just take for granted.

“I think we should keep a close eye on that to make sure that nothing spreads this far because we are only two hours from Liverpool and Manchester.”

Nationwide, explanations for the surge in knife crime have included police budget cuts, gang violence and disputes between drug dealers.

Some have also cited the steep decline in the use by police of stop and search.

Nationwide there were 39,818 knife crime offences in the 12 months ending September 2018, according to Home Office figures.

This represents a two-thirds increase from the low-point in the year ending March 2014, when there were 23,945 offences, and is the highest number since comparable data was compiled.

These statistics do not include those from Greater Manchester Police because of data recording issues.

Out of the 44 police forces, 42 recorded a rise in knife crime since 2011.

Panel chairman Jack Paton disputed claims that Carlisle did not have an issue with knives and violent crime.

He said: “We do have it in Carlisle, but it’s so minor, we don’t really hear about it too much. It’s a sad fact of the way life is at the moment.

“Hopefully whatever Government is going to be in power will come up with some idea, some strategy, because we need to do something about these people.

“The devastation [knife-attackers] leave behind them is horrendous.”

Since 2010, police numbers have decreased by almost 20,000 across the country.

However, Prime Minister Theresa May has said there is no “direct correlation” between the rise in knife crime and a fall in police numbers, a claim that has been contested. Last year, a Home Affairs Committee report said police forces were “struggling to cope” amid falling numbers while a leaked Home Office Document said this had “likely contributed” to a rise in serious violent crime.