Curfews could be imposed on teenagers to cut knife crime
Curfews could be imposed for teenagers in troublespots in a bid to curb knife crime.
Ministers believe sweeping under 16s off the streets after 9pm would help tackle the rising toll of stabbings and knife-point muggings among young people.
Police would take the children home or to a safe place, such as a community centre, where mothers and father could collect them.
Parents would then be questioned about why their sons or daughters were hanging around late into the evening.
It is one measure set to be outlined in the Government's new Youth Crime Action Plan, to be unveiled on Tuesday.
MPs on the Commons' influential home affairs committee will this week say a national curfew could reduce violent and anti-social behaviour.
But ministers have rejected this idea. Instead, they will concentrate on trialling it in eight knife 'hotspots' across England.
Even though most knife attacks are committed by people over 16, increasing numbers of young teens are carrying blades. Recent murder victims have been as young as 14.
The plan is based on Merseyside Police's 'Operation Staysafe', which has seen a curfew operating in the notorious Croxteth, Norris Green and Clubmoor areas of Liverpool since last year.
A Home Office source said: 'Young people who are out at night are the ones who are often most exposed to some sort of knife crime.
'Under a curfew, the police would pick up kids under existing child protection laws and take them to a place of safety - either home or their parents will be asked to get them.
'It is also about parental responsibility. If it happens more than once then I suspect the social services would get involved.
'It is a warning shot across the bows for both the child and the parent.'
Police forces would be able to operate curfews in certain areas, or across the whole of their force.
A report from the home affairs committee is expected to say that a national curfew on young teenagers could curb anti-social and violent behaviour.
Keith Vaz, the Labour chairman of the home affairs select committee, said: 'I have sympathy with the view that children should not be out after 9pm.'
Environment minister Phil Woolas admitted that legislation targeting teen violence was failing, and added: 'There are parts of the country where for periods of time, you should be able to introduce curfews. We need a heavy police presence and fines for parents.'
Last week it was revealed that Devon and Cornwall Police were pioneering a curfew in troublespots in Redruth, Cornwall.
Under 'Operation Goodnight', the police can remove anyone under 16 seen on the streets after 9pm and any child under 10 after 8pm during the school summer holidays.
Meanwhile, a poll for the Sunday Times found that nine out of 10 parents wanted legal restrictions on their children going out after dark.
It is the clearest sign yet of the growing fear of violence on Britain's streets.
Some 53 per cent of parents said they would welcome a nationwide 9pm curfew for 10 to 16-year-olds, while another 35 per cent favoured a 10pm ban.
Patrick Mercer, a Conservative member of the home affairs committee, said: 'It is clearly something that has worked in Redruth and something we should consider nationally.'
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