Nearly three-quarters of people convicted of knife crimes in Sussex had no previous knife-related convictions, new figures show.

Statistics from the Ministry of Justice found that 236 people were convicted of knife crimes for the first time in the 12 months to March 2023.

The figures accounted for 72 per cent of knife offences in Sussex in the same time period. However, only 11 per cent of first-time offenders were jailed.

Patrick Green, chief executive of anti-knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust, said there was not a sufficient deterrent to stop knife criminals become repeat offenders.

He added: “One possibility is that young people are feeling increasingly unsafe, and that they are mistakenly carrying knives for protection.

“Protecting our youth and fostering a safe environment for all should be a government priority.”

He added children are also influenced by social media, which “often portrays knives in a glamorised way” and said young people must be provided with the necessary support, education, and opportunities to steer them away from violence.

Knife crime has become prevalent in Sussex with several high-profile cases in recent months.

In February, a 16-year-old boy was charged with wounding with intent following an alleged incident at a McDonalds in Worthing.

In July, another youth was arrested on suspicion of carrying a kitchen knife into a secondary school in Durrington.

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In Sussex, offenders were cautioned or sentenced 327 times for knife-related crimes in the year to March 2023. Of those, 20 per cent resulted in immediate jail sentences, fewer than in 2019-20.

Sussex Police caught children aged under 18 with knives 69 times in 2022-23, an increase on 65 from the year before.

Nationally, there were 19,086 reports of knife offences that resulted in a caution or sentence in England and Wales, a slight decrease on last year’s figures.

Of those cautioned or sentenced, 94% were men, up on 88% the year before.