Schoolchildren continue to carry bladed weapons despite a crackdown on knife crime, according to police.

Concerns were raised after police revealed that three people have been killed in knife attacks in the past year and a further 22 people have been injured.

A police spokesman added that the youngest suspect was aged 14 while one victim was only 13.

The spokesman said: “The ages of the suspects in these matters range from 14 to 46 years of age, with 50 per cent of suspects in their twenties.

“We are particularly concerned with trends of young people of school age carrying bladed items and we urge parents to talk to their children to make them aware of the dangers of knife crime and the serious injuries that be inflicted with a bladed article.

“It is troubling that individuals are arming themselves with bladed items out of fear of being targeted for violence.

“However, we reiterate that carrying a knife or other bladed item actually puts you at greater risk of becoming involved in a dangerous situation, rather than preventing you from becoming a victim.

“Our advice is always that should you feel threatened, walk away from possible confrontation.”

The spokesman said that the ages of the victims of bladed article attacks ranged from 13 to 52 years of age, “suggesting that age is not a barrier to becoming a victim of knife crime”.

He said that all but one of the victims — a female stabbed at Horseshoe Bay in May last year — were male.

Police launched a crackdown on knife crime in February last year and stepped up stop-and-search patrols to combat the menace.

Last July, officers revealed that there was a growing trend among young people to carry blades for protection.

Confirming that stop-and-search patrols will continue, the spokesman said: “This is not a power that is used indiscriminately but is used in a careful and proportionate manner. Deployment of these stop checks are overseen by an officer of superintendent rank and reviewed each month.”

The penalties for being found in public carrying a bladed article, if convicted on indictment, are imprisonment for four years or a fine of $5,000 or both.

Any youngster who feels threatened is asked not to arm themselves but instead report their concerns to someone in authority, such as a parent, caregiver some other adult or the police on 211, or 295-0011.