THERE is absolutely no excuse for carrying a knife in public and anyone found doing so should face the full force of the law.

Whether or not they intend to use it is immaterial and lame excuses such as saying it is for “protection” simply won’t wash.

Yesterday a man was arrested in Queen’s Road in the city centre after threatening police officers with a ten-inch blade.

It is the latest in a series of incidents in which people have carried knives and statistics show that there were 190 weapons offences between January and June this year.

That is quite terrifying as the escalation in the carrying of knives and knife crime continues.

Sussex Police are doing everything in their power to curtail this terrible trend.

Nationwide, there have been plenty of awareness campaigns as well as “knife amnesties” with secure bins for knives to be deposited in safely and then disposed of.

Any campaign aimed at discouraging people from carrying knives is to be applauded, but what is really needed is a deterrent and that is where the courts must take the firmest action possible.

This is particularly important because of the profusion of teenagers thinking that carrying a knife is “cool” or a sign of “machismo”.

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. It is beyond foolhardy.

If anyone carrying a knife ends up in a confrontation, there is always the temptation to use it.

That can lead to serious injury being inflicted or in the worst case scenario, death.

There is absolutely no reason to carry a knife. It is a lethal weapon.