Anyone caught carrying a knife in public could soon face up to five years in jail.

The Government announced a review of the the two-year maximum sentence for the possession of a knife a day after hundreds of knives were handed in to Sussex Police stations during the first week of an amnesty.

Sealed red bins placed at 31 police stations were filled with 757 knives - already more than half the total handed in during a five-week Sussex knife amnesty in 1996.

Assistant Chief Constable Nigel Yeo said: "We are extremely pleased with the response from the public so far.

"It is encouraging and we hope many more people will be encouraged to come forward."

Yesterday, Lord Bassam of Brighton said the Government planned to amend its Violent Crime Reduction Bill to increase the maximum penalty to four or five years.

It means the tougher sentence could be in force as early as the end of the summer.

The Bill would also raise the minimum age for buying knives from 16 to 18.

Lord Bassam said: "Knife crime is a serious problem and a number of cases have highlighted that. The Government is taking firm measures to tighten up the law in this area.

"The knives amnesty has highlighted the concern of local people and I anticipate widespread support for this change by the Government.

"There will be some consultation but it looks like we will bring forward a proposal to strengthen the sentence."

Nick Herbert, MP for Arundel and South Downs and the Tories' spokesman for policing, said: "We need to send a tougher signal that the carrying of knives is not acceptable."

The Conservatives, who first called for tougher penalties for carrying knives last week, said more than 50 stabbings took place nationally during the Bank Holiday weekend.

Under the law it is an offence to carry a knife in public "without good reason or lawful authority", with the exception of a folding pocket-knife with a blade not more than three inches long.

Sussex Police were yesterday unable to say how many people had been convicted of carrying "an article with a blade or point" - the official definition of the offence - within the county during the past five years.

But nationally, figures show the number of people charged with the offence in England and Wales rose from 4,549 in 1999 to 7,223 in 2004, an increase of almost 60 per cent.