From the information collected on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify those offences which are knife related. Such offences are not specifically defined by statute and details of the individual circumstances of offences do not feature in the recorded crime statistics.
Figures are collected for homicides involving the use of sharp instruments but they do not separate identify knife-related offences. As from April 2007, police forces are providing data on serious violence involving knives. Home Office statisticians will assess the quality of the data and it is planned that figures for 2007-08 will be published in the main crime bulletin in July 2008.