THE rate of young people committing violent knife crimes in Tendring is at its lowest since 2014, it has been revealed.

Essex Police has released figures on the number of violent offences around the county involving a knife and offensive weapon where the suspect was aged between ten and 17 years old.

The figures, from a Freedom of Information Request to the force, have revealed Tendring is one of two areas in Essex where knife crime has been at its lowest in five years.

The data also revealed the number of young people involved in knife and weapons offences in the district halved between 2017 and 2018.

It showed ten in every 1,000 people in Tendring aged between ten and 17 were involved in these offences in 2017 - but in 2018 it halved to five in every 1,000 young people.

This equates to 119 violent knife and weapons offences in Tendring in 2017, and just 63 in 2018.

In 2014, it was eight in 1,000 young people.

The only other area in Essex to be at its lowest rate since 2014 is Harlow.

Every other area’s figures had risen, and Colchester’s had stayed the same for two-years running.

Colchester’s statistics revealed seven out of 1,000 young people had been involved in violent knife crimes in both 2017 and 2018.

The data showed in 2017, a total of 112 weapon offences were carried out by young people in Colchester. In 2018, the figure was 114.

Caroline Shearer, founder of Clacton-based anti-knife charity Only Cowards Carry, said she believes her charity’s amnesty bins have helped Tendring’s figures drop.

She said: “I welcome the figures, but it is still not low enough.

“We are still getting knife crimes and attacks, but it is nice to start seeing some form of results and that is thanks to my staff at Only Cowards Carry.

“We hope it keeps dropping and we have played a major role campaigning against knife crimes.”

Essex Police’s data also revealed at least 30 out of 1,000 young people were involved in weapons offences used for violent crimes over the past five years in Essex.

Lynda McWilliams, Tendring Community Safety Partnership’s chairman, welcomed the figures but said they were not surprising.

She said: “Knife crime has been a real focus of both Essex Police and is a priority of the Community Safety Partnership – including partners such as Only Cowards Carry – and it is pleasing to see the result this is having.”

“Initiatives such as our Crucial Crew for young people include a focus on knife crime prevention and awareness, and these figures show this is successful.”

Essex Police has been contacted for comment.