The Huntingdon train attack is the latest high-profile incident to place a spotlight on violent crime, and knife crime specifically.

But take a look at the figures and there doesn’t seem to have been a recent surge in violent crimes. In fact, quite the opposite.

There are various ways that violent and knife-related crime can be measured. Here, we will look at three key measures across England and Wales.

The best way to measure trends in violent crime overall is through the Crime Survey for England and Wales, run by the Office for National Statistics.

This asks a representative sample of the population about their experiences of crime, so it should capture crimes even if they are not reported to police.

The results of this survey show violent crime is down by 11 per cent in the past

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