No plans to follow UK knife law changes

There are no plans to toughen the Isle of Man's knife laws to follow the United Kingdom.

In the UK there has been a dramatic increase in the number of violent incidents involving knives which has resulted in at least 16 teenagers being killed in London alone this year.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown says it's unacceptable for British teenagers to carry knives and has indicated he will scrap the system of issuing cautions in some cases.

Now, all offenders in the UK over age 16 will be prosecuted for carrying a blade more than 7.6 centimetres long, and if they are convicted they face up to four years in prison.

However, the Isle of Man Constabulary says Manx law is sufficient to deal with the situation as things stand.

A spokesman said the culture of carrying knives, seen some of the major UK cities, wasn't present in the Island.