"Knives are more lethal than guns," says Sally O'Neill. Why did you outlaw guns then? Maybe we are on the wrong track here in America and we should begin thinking about knife control instead of gun control. Your attorneys are brilliant!!!

Mike, Philadelphia, United States of America

Last weekend in Sydney there were stabbings at 2 weddings. Tough laws and punishments are the answer. Why then can we not get the govenrments to do anything? Civil Liberty is fine, but if it means freedom to carry knives and wreck other people's lives then I'm all for curtailing it a bit.

David Ashton, Bathurst, Australia

Knife-carrying will only stop if there is a no-buts, no-excuses mandatory JAIL sentence.. 5 years would be appropriate. It is in no ones interest to have a pathetic softly-softly approach to knife possession.. least of all the kids who end up carrying because they know they will only get a caution

Paul, Barnet,

If a youth is found twice with a knife on them, their parents - as well as the youth - should be imprisoned. The child is their responsibility, if they're are out of control and they are not checking them for knives, the situation arises because of the individual choices of the youth and parents.

Helen E., London, United Kingdom

1. Build more prisons and take away the leisure facilities and non-sharing of existing prisons to make more space.
2. Instant 5 years prison for possession.
3. Instant life sentence for use.
4. Three strikes of any criminality and you're out of society FOR GOOD.
5. Celebrations across the UK.

James, London, United Kingdom

It is not the carrying of knives that is the problem, it is the attitude of the people who use them for protection in a society where they should not need to. Re-educate the young; bring back religion with the ten commandments and solve the problem at grass-roots. Make parents responsible again.

B J Deller, Marbella, Spain

Insist that parents parent. This means supervision and
knowing about their kids.. It seems that Jimmy Mizens alleged killer had form for "happy slapping" and had large sums of money but no job. Parents must not tolerate thuggish behaviour. If they can't cope remove child to boarding school.

Joan S, Chelmsford, UK

I work in Baltimore City, which can be a dangerous place. Part of my every day work attire includes a razor sharp knife. I carry this for my self protection, as there cannot be police on every street corner or boulevard 24/7.

What makes you feel safer? Laws or personal responsibility?

Jerry M, Baltimore, USA

Stop, search, detect, arrest.

If you carry a knife: you're jailed.
If after jail, you are discovered with one again, you have shown you are absolutely incapable of changing your behaviour given that deterrent and should be striked from the society whose rules you refuse to obey.

Helen E., London, UK

Why not allow the police to stop search again willy nilly as was done in the 60s onwards, until the race brigade got it stopped. That used to keep the lid on it, but it isnt now PC except in the current ltd. exercise in the Met. Listen to liberals and its you who will pay the consequences not them..

alan, worcs, uk

"Education" campaigns won't work, any more than with smoking or drugs. Young people tend to do things they know to be dangerous, harmful to themselves or others, or illegal: it's become a way of asserting self-identity when growing up. Tougher sentences & more police are the only answer.

John B, London,

The problem with knife and gun control is that it forces the law-abiding to stand by and watch the innocent being slaughtered by the criminal.

Bishop Hill, Scotland,

The answer is simple - get caught on the street with a knife, without good reason, and you go to jail for 5 years. It's no good asking people nicely not to carry knives. The sort of people who do carry them just don't do "nicely".

Martin, Newmarket, Suffolk

When will the Brits learn the simple fact of life that it's not the instrument that kills..... it's the person. Gun control didn't work and neither will knife control. The way to cut violent crime is to punish properly. Bring back the death penalty. Once hanged, they cannot re-offend!

steve ex pat Brit, white river, south africa

Knives are not the problem- when I was a child every kid had a hunting knife. The problem is the parents - criminal parents, and parents who are little more than children themselves. That can't be solved. The only way to mitigate is to get the police back on the streets in large number.

Simon Holly, LonDon UK,

Frankly we need zero tolerant and no politically correct nonsense. Our government must not brush this cancer under the carpet, and must deal with it swiftly with adequate deterrent punishment.

H.Marph , London,

You've already banned the guns, why not ban knives as well? Britain might also consider getting started on strict fork and screwdriver control measures, and to mandate dull fingernails for everyone between age 10 and 30.

Sterling, Richmond, Virginia, United States

The only way is to punish and punish the criminals. there is no justification for anybody to carry guns and knifes and it should be publicised. Tough sentence for all ages. Once everbody knows, believe me the cool factor will go away and the decipline will come back.

abhi, london, london