More than 100 knives reported in region's schools

More than 100 cases of children taking knives into South Yorkshire schools have been recorded over the past three years, according to police figures.

The data, which was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, showed that just three per cent of cases resulted in charges or a court summons being issued.

South Yorkshire Police said it took a "robust approach" to those found carrying weapons.

The statistics were published weeks after the fatal stabbing of 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose at a Sheffield school on 3 February.

The parents of the teenager, whose funeral was held on Friday, have called for metal detectors to be brought into secondary schools to tackle the problem.

The figures, which were provided to the Local Democracy Reporting Service following a Freedom of Information request request, showed police were informed of 103 knives being taken into schools across the region between 2022 and 2024.

Of these, 37 were in Sheffield and 30 were in Doncaster, while 22 incidents were recorded in Rotherham and 14 in Barnsley.

However, only three children were charged or summoned to court, while seven received youth cautions and 12 were given youth conditional cautions.

In three cases, prosecution was prevented due to the suspect being below the age of 10 - the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales.

In a further 15 instances "evidential difficulties" resulted in cases being halted.

In 27 cases, victims withdrew support for police action, while 16 cases were dealt with by partner agencies and five were not pursued due to concerns about whether prosecution was in the public interest.

Furthermore, 10 incidents involved educational interventions and two cases were dealt with by a community resolution.

Supt David Cowley, from South Yorkshire Police, said: "We are dedicated to combating knife crime in South Yorkshire and take a robust approach in response to incidents and those found to be carrying a weapon.

"We have seen the devastation it causes to our local communities, and are committed to working with partners, including local authorities and the South Yorkshire violence reduction unit, taking an evidence-based approach to prevent and reduce knife crime."