London, Dec 27 (IANS) At least four children in Britain — some as young as 10 — are caught every day bringing weapons like knives, rifles, machetes and axes to schools, a media report said.
Around 1,600 weapons were seized from schools over the last five years, the Daily Mail reported citing figures from 20 police forces in the country.
Some even brought ninja stars, a small-bladed object associated with throwing and sometimes stabbing or slashing, and knuckle dusters, pieces of metal shaped to fit around the knuckles and used to throw punches.
Police have also found axes, daggers, catapults and imitation guns. In Gloucestershire, a Lee Enfield rifle was seized.
Schoolchildren found carrying such weapons are being handed reprimands and warnings.
The figures were released under the Freedom of Information Act.
In total, the “equivalent” of 4,150 weapons were seized from schools across the country over the last five years, roughly 830 a year, or four on each of the 190 school days.
But the actual figure was likely to be higher as no seizures from the biggest force, the Metropolitan Police, were included in the data.
The offenders included more than 460 children and teenagers aged between 10 and 18 from 2007 to 2011.
Nine of the children were 10-year-olds and were among 269 children aged 14 or younger.
