GB News Home and Security Editor Mark White says today’s stabbing in central London is further evidence of Britain’s “significant issue” with knife crime.
He joined Tom Harwood and Emily Carver to give the latest after two victims, an 11-year-old girl and a 34-year-old woman, were taken to hospital.
Mark says figures put out by authorities fail to illustrate properly the clear and imminent threat posed by knife crime in Britain.
“I think what the authorities will tell you in terms of knife crime is, overall knife crime figures are down”, he said.
Mark White spoke on the double stabbing in London
PA / GB NEWS
“But that doesn’t give a proper overview of what we are seeing with knife crime which is significant numbers of young people thinking it’s perfectly in order for them to carry weapons.
“They are then getting involved in some pretty horrific, high-profile incidents which are often caught on camera and then shown on social media and people are given an indication of levels of violence that maybe aren’t born out by the stats but are still deeply alarming and show we have a very significant issue around knife crime in this country.”
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“But that doesn’t give a proper overview of what we are seeing with knife crime which is significant numbers of young people thinking it’s perfectly in order for them to carry weapons.
“They are then getting involved in some pretty horrific, high-profile incidents which are often caught on camera and then shown on social media and people are given an indication of levels of violence that maybe aren’t born out by the stats but are still deeply alarming and show we have a very significant issue around knife crime in this country.”
He added: “The Metropolitan Police have just put out a statement to say there is nothing to suggest a terrorist connection to the stabbings of an 11-year-old girl and a 34-year-old woman in Leicester Square.
“Nothing more on that at this stage. Our Senior Home and Security Producer Tom Fredericks has been speaking to sources at Counter Terror Command at Scotland Yard who have said at this stage, the guidance they are giving is nothing to suggest a terrorist connection.”
Mark White joined Tom Harwood and Emily Carver
GB NEWS
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said the woman and child stabbed had been taken to a major trauma centre.
The spokesperson said: “We were called at 11.36am on Monday 12 August to reports of a stabbing at Leicester Square.
“We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic and an incident response officer. We also dispatched members of our tactical response unit.
“We treated a child and an adult at the scene and took them to a major trauma centre.”
Girl, 11, and woman, 34, stabbed in broad daylight attack in Leicester SquarePA
Police officer at scene of stabbing in Leicester SquarePAA police cordon is in place surrounding the double doors of the TWG Tea Shop on Leicester Square.
The cordon is beside the LEGO store and in front of the M&M store, and families and tourists are still standing in queues for each.
Another high-profile stabbing case involving children occurred this month in Southport, where three young girls were killed in a horrifying attack that prompted unrest across the country.